Chapter 224

[ 1,207 words ]

Pillow Wall.

The Underworld was quiet in the morning, if you could even call it morning down here. There was no sun, just a dim in the glow of the realm, like the light itself was still half asleep. I wasn’t. I’d been awake for hours, staring at the ridiculous pillow wall between us, trying not to think about how her breathing had matched mine somewhere around middle of the night. Every soft exhale was steady and rhythmic, brushing through the space like a lullaby I didn’t des She’d rolled closer in her sleep, of course because fate had a twisted sense of humour. Now her hand rested against o the pillows dividing us, fingers relaxed, just barely brushing the edge of my arm. Every now and then, her fingers twi dreaming maybe, and each time it sent a spark of awareness through me. The smell of her shampoo still clung to my Vanilla and wildflowers. She must’ve drooled again because there was a faint dark spot on her pillow, and the memory her doing it last night made me grin like an idiot. Gods, she was chaos. Perfect, exhausting chaos.

I turned on my side, propping my head up on one hand, and just looked at her. She’d kicked off her blanket sometime during the night, one leg tangled in the sheets, hair messy and fanned out across the pillow. Her lips were parted sligh her face soft in a way that made her look younger, like the world hadn’t touched her yet. It was dangerous, staring like this. Every line of her face was carved into me now, every small freckle, every flutter of her lashes. I’d tried so hard to keep things manageable, light, playful. But lying here beside her like this… it felt like the world had stopped pretendin

I whispered, barely a breath, “You have no idea what you do to me p>

And of course, she stirred. Because apparently, I couldn’t even talk to myself without tempting fate. Her brow furrowed slightly, a little groan slipping out as she turned her head toward me, still half-asleep. I froze. Her eyes blinked open slowly, unfocused, then suddenly sharpened as she realised where she was. Her gaze darted from me to the ceiling, then the familiar room. Oh, this was about to be fun.

“Morning,” I said, keeping my voice calm, casual, like we hadn’t just shared a bed in the middle of Hell.

She blinked at me again, confusion morphing into something suspicious. “Elliot…” Her voice was raspy from sleep. “Whe

the hell are we p>

I gave her my best innocent look. “Hell p>

She groaned. “I mean, why are we in your bed p>

I lifted a hand and gestured toward the pillow wall. “Technically, we were just sharing space. Fully respectable boundaries were in place. Look, I even built a wall p>

Her gaze flicked to the row of pillows dividing the mattress, and despite the faint blush creeping up her neck, her lips twitched. “You’re ridiculous p>

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“Respectful,” I corrected, smiling faimly. “Big difference p>

She sighed, willing up and raking a hand through her hair. The movement exposed the curve of her collarbone, and i had

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Pillow Wall

to drag my gaze away before I embarrassed myself physically.

“Next time,” she muttered, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, “warn me before you portal me into your bed,

okay p>

“Noted,” I said, though the corner of my mouth tugged upward.

She stood, stretching, and gave me one last exasperated look that didn’t quite hide her amusement. “You’re lucky I trust

you p>

Her words hit harder than I expected.

“Yeah,” I murmured quietly, watching her head toward the door. “I’m lucky p>

And as the door closed behind her, I let out the breath I’d been holding since she’d opened her eyes, because for all my promises to be good, to be respectful, every second beside her felt like walking a knife’s edge. And one of these days, I wasn’t sure I’d survive the fall.

Macey

I walked through the door that had always connected mine and Elliot’s rooms. I hadn’t stepped through that passage in years. Back when I was little, I used to sneak through it almost every night to crawl into his bed. Back then, my biggest fear was thunder. Now, I wasn’t sure what I was afraid of anymore. When I pushed the door open, I froze. It wasn’t my room. Not anymore, Gone were the bubblegum pink walls and the twinkling fairy lights I used to insist stayed on all night Gone were the piles of frilly dresses, my chipped tiaras, the little toy chest with the faded golden paint. The whole space had changed, like someone had peeled away the little girl l/used to be and replaced her with the woman I was supposed to

become.

The walls were a deep, rich brown with streaks of green threading through them like ivy in stone. The soft flicker of candlelight painted everything in muted gold. My old white princess bed had been replaced by a massive four-poster wrapped in soft, earth-toned sheets and impossibly fluffy pillows that looked like clouds dipped in dusk. It was beautiful. And it felt like stepping into a dream I didn’t remember having. I took a slow step inside, my fingers brushing the edge of the bedspread. The fabric was smooth and heavy beneath my touch. It wasn’t childish, it was regal, powerful, something that looked like it belonged to someone who mattered. Across from it, my little white vanity had grown up, too. It was taller now, carved from dark wood with ornate edges and a mirror framed in gold. The soft blush-pink stool was gone, replaced by a sleek black chair. The drawers were lined with neatly folded silk ribbons and small glass bottles of perfume! didn’t remember owning.

But what stopped me was what sat in the centre of the vanity.

A Crown.

Not plastic. Not costume.

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Pillow Wall

Real.

Golden, with obsidian and ruby stones that caught the candlelight and set it ablaze. It looked heavy and commanding. Fo a long moment, I just stood there, staring at it. That crown didn’t belong to the little girl who used to play “queen” with Elliot and make him kneel while declared the carpet my kingdom.

A lump rose in my throat. I reached out, running a trembling finger along the rim of the crown, tracing the sharp line where gold met gemstone. The rubies glowed faintly under my touch, a deep pulse that almost felt alive.

“Welcome home, huh?” I whispered to the empty room.

But even as the words left me, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this space wasn’t just a room anymore. It was a testimony to how much Elliot really loved me. I knew that deep within my soul.

Comments

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Kitten_81

thank you thank you for the multiple chapters God I love Elliot and I love him even more Macey I hope that the goddess puts them together cuz I’m trying to find a love like that in my real life

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Juliet Zvayi

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