Leysa:
With every step toward the basent door, sothing began to feel strange. The questions Troy started asking did not sit right with .
"So, do you have feelings for anyone?" he asked.
I slowed down, turned to face him, and gave him a puzzled look before straightening my posture.
"Why would you ask that? Do not tell you have a crush on ," I teased.
Of course, that was impossible. It could never be.
I knew he liked my sister. He was her mate.
As for , I was just soone he had known in passing. Maybe a little more than that, but never soone he would look at that way.
"Why is it so unbelievable?" he shot back.
The question felt strange. My steps slowed, but I adjusted my posture, pretending I was not paying much attention to what barely qualified as flirting.
"Anyway, what are we looking for?" I asked, nodding toward the basent.
He pointed at the door and unlocked it. As it creaked open and he gestured for to go ahead, I froze.
A hard gulp slid down my throat. I had to force it, and I was sure he noticed because he stepped closer, studying my face.
"What happened? Go on," he urged.
"What are we looking for?" I repeated, turning fully toward him this ti. I wanted him to understand that I would not blindly follow him downstairs without knowing why.
I had once been trapped in a house full of unstable people. I was not about to put myself in danger again.
He did not seem pleased. He moved even closer.
"I did not think you would hesitate to follow into the basent," he said, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Do you not trust ?"
I kept my eyes on the stairs before finally facing him.
"I was trapped the last ti I trusted soone," I told him quietly. "It is not about you, Troy. Sotis things are about ."
The emotions hit without warning. I used to cry only in front of my parents because I knew they would comfort . In truth, I rarely felt like crying.
But after they were gone, I had to force myself to stay strong. Then I was captured by those people and left scarred.
"Then let’s say it is about you," he murmured, gesturing toward the basent again.
I stared at the open doorway, then stepped back.
"You know what? I do not even want to know anymore. You should consider my ntal health too. I know you probably do not care, but I thought you might care a little. It is fine. No one has to care about . I can take care of myself."
The words spilled out of . They had been sitting inside since the day I was locked in that room, waiting for Charles to devour .
"You need to let your emotions out more often," Troy remarked.
I rolled my eyes. If he thought this sudden trip to the basent had anything to do with my well being, I did not believe it.
"Alright," he said at last. "I will tell you what I wanted. I needed to speak to you privately. I wanted to ask you sothing."
His tone shifted. There was a sharp edge to it that made the hair at the back of my neck rise.
"And you needed to go into the basent for that?" I asked.
If he wanted to trust him, he was not helping his case. The more he spoke, the more suspicious I beca.
"Yeah. It is sothing that has to be done alone, away from everyone," he replied.
His tone unsettled .
"What is it? What do you want to know?" I asked, drawing in a slow, heavy breath to steady myself.
I had already endured enough. I was not going to let anyone belittle or push over the edge again.
He stepped closer and looked straight into my eyes.
"Did you tell Clentine about our one night stand?" he asked.
The question struck hard. I had been waiting for him to bring it up.
I swallowed and looked away.
"No, I have not," I answered honestly.
"I want the truth," he whispered.
I stared at him in disbelief. He was truly afraid I would tell Clentine and ruin whatever chance he believed he still had with her.
For a mont, I wondered why I had assud he would back off once Clentine chose Ian. Maybe I had been thinking too far ahead.
"Troy, I have not told her anything," I said firmly. "But if you keep pushing , I might."
He held my gaze for a second. Then everything changed.
His hand shot forward and closed around my neck. He shoved back against the wall, pressing in close.
My eyes widened in shock. Tears burned at the corners.
So this was what it had co to. No one ever chose first.
But watching Troy do this to , whether for Clentine or for himself, shattered sothing inside .
He leaned closer, his breath brushing my skin.
And then he kissed .
For the first few seconds, I could not move or respond to his kiss. It felt unreal, like sothing I had once imagined but never believed would actually happen.
Then his hands slid down from my neck to my chest, and he squeezed roughly.
A shiver ran through , not from desire but from the sudden shift in control.
I reached up and placed my hand behind his head. Instead of pushing him away, I pulled him closer and deepened the kiss.
Our lips moved in rhythm, our breaths tangling as the kiss deepened. His hands wandered over , while my fingers threaded through his hair and held him close.
Then a sharp cough cut through the mont.
We both froze. Another pointed cough followed from the side.
Slowly, we pulled away from each other. Our heads turned in the sa direction.
His mother stood there, watching us with a bright smile on her face. Her hands were pressed against her chest in delight.
"You two are together!" she exclaid, sounding genuinely pleased.
Both of us imdiately lowered our heads and stepped apart.
It would be safe to say we were embarrassed to be caught by his mother.
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