I had been discharged from the hospital a few days ago, though the doctors advised plenty of rest. So I stayed home, curled under soft blankets in the small apartment I shared with Lucas. He had finally started college again, and every morning when he left with his backpack slung over his shoulder, I couldn’t stop smiling. After everything, seeing him. laugh, study, live–it was more than enough to make my heart feel full.
Sebastian came by every evening. Sometimes he brought dinner, sometimes flowers. Sometimes he didn’t bring anything at all except himself, but somehow that was the best part. We hadn’t talked about us since the hospital. I wasn’t sure if we were still pretending or just quietly crossing into something dangerously real.
Then, one afternoon, his grandfather called and invited me to a family dinner. I didn’t want to go. Not because I didn’t like them–they were surprisingly warm, loud in a comforting way–but because I didn’t know how to keep faking this when my heart had already slipped far past the contract.
But I couldn’t say no. I owed Sebastian too much.
So I went.
I wore a navy–blue dress–modest, but it hugged my waist nicely–and the silver earrings Sebastian had gifted me on the day I left the hospital. I tried not to read too much into the way his jaw dropped when he saw me walk into the dining room.
“You look…” he said, eyes lingering. “Incredible.”
I smiled shyly. “Thank you.”
The evening passed in laughter and wine. His grandfather told loud stories that made the entire table roar. Sebastian held my hand under the table when no one was looking. We danced under fairy lights strung along the backyard, his hand resting gently on my waist, his breath warm against my ear.
And then I saw them.
Two women–elegant, model–perfect–lingering by the wine table, chatting with Sebastian’s cousin. They turned when Sebastian stepped away to grab another drink, eyes lighting up. One reached out to touch his sleeve. Another leaned in a little too close to laugh at something he said.
I shouldn’t have cared.
But I did.
That ugly burn of jealousy bubbled up so fast, I couldn’t even stop it. I put down. my wine glass and slipped away from the garden, clutching my purse, pretending I just needed air.
I walked out toward the side gate. I didn’t know where I was going–maybe just away from the sound of my own heart cracking.
“Ellie!” Sebastian’s voice called from behind me.
I stopped.
3/3
08:21 Sat, 24 May
63%
He jogged to me, slightly breathless. “Why’d you leave? Are you okay?”
I turned to him. “You should go back. Your friends are waiting.”
He tilted his head, confused. “What?”
“Those women,” I muttered. “They were practically throwing themselves at you. Maybe you should go entertain them instead.”
His lips curved up in a slow, amused smile. “Wait. Are you… jealous?”
“No!” I said too quickly. “Of course not.”
He stepped closer, eyes twinkling. “You are.”
“I’m not.”
“Then why are your cheeks red?”
“Maybe it’s the wine.”
He chuckled. “Ellie,” he whispered, voice soft now, intimate. “I don’t care about anyone else. You’re the only one I want. The only one I look for in a room. You know that, right?”
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
“You don’t have to be afraid anymore,” he said. “Not with me. I love you, Ellie.”
My heart stopped.
And then, finally, I stopped running.
I reached up and kissed him.
His mouth met mine with urgency, like he had been waiting for it–for me. The night was warm, quiet except for our breathing. He cupped my face like I was something fragile, precious. His hands traveled down to my waist, pulling me closer as I melted against him.
We stumbled inside his car, then his apartment–neither of us speaking, too afraid that if we did, it would shatter the moment. Clothes fell to the floor. His kisses trailed down my neck, my shoulder. He whispered my name like a prayer as our bodies pressed together, skin against skin, hearts racing in sync.
And for the first time in years, I didn’t feel broken.
I felt wanted.
Safe.
Loved.
When I woke up the next morning, sunlight spilled through the windows. I blinked, stretching, then stilled when I felt something heavy on my finger.
A ring.
I gasped and sat up.
Sebastian leaned on one elbow beside me, hair a mess, eyes soft with sleep and something deeper.
“I was going to wait until dinner,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, “but… I couldn’t.”
Chapter 7
70
2/3 78.7%
08:21 Sat, 24 May
A ring.
I gasped and sat up.
Sebastian leaned on one elbow beside me, hair a mess, eyes soft with sleep and something deeper,
“I was going to wait until dinner,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, “but… I couldn’t.”
I stared at the delicate band on my finger. Simple. Elegant. Perfect.
“I want to make our marriage real,” he said, voice cracking slightly. “No more pretending. No more contracts. Just us. Will you marry me, Ellie? For real?”
Tears sprang to my eyes before I could speak.
av ves
I wanted to say yes.
I wanted to say it more than anything.
But for now, I just nodded and leaned in, kissing him again–because that was the only answer my heart had.
Ellie still couldn’t believe it.
