Chapter 312
[ 516 words ]
Chapter 312:
On so many nights, after Ruby had fallen asleep, whenever I woke with a start from another nightmare, his name felt like a splinter buried deep in my flesh, impossible to remove.
But I knew reality would never allow me to turn back.
Silas and Ruby’s safety, the life I had fought so hard to build, and that shattered past… There was too much standing between us, stretching into a gulf I could never cross.
I had to keep telling myself that staying far away from him was the only way to keep living peacefully.
I still had dreams of my own. I wanted to take the children somewhere nobody knew our names and begin again. I could not let myself sink into a past with no future in it.
Just then, Brian’s mind link reached my mind.
I jerked upright and wiped at my face, only to realize my skin was clammy and cold.
The tears had already trailed all the way to the corners of my mouth. I had not even noticed I was crying.
𝗥е𝘤𝗈𝗆mеոd 𝗀alոо𝗏𝘦𝗹s.c𝗈𝗺 𝗍о y𝗼𝘂𝗋 𝖿𝗿𝗂eո𝗱s
I drew several deep breaths, trying to calm the tremor in my breathing before I accepted the link.
“Lianne? Why didn’t you come back?” Brian’s voice was thick with unmistakable worry and urgency. “Did that bastard give you a hard time? Tell me honestly. Even if we’ve known each other for years, if he dares to hurt you, I’ll stand on your side without hesitation.”
Hearing his unwavering support, I swallowed down the bitterness rising in my chest and tried to make my voice sound relaxed. “No, you’re overthinking things. We only talked about some old things, just a small misunderstanding from the past.”
“Was it really only a misunderstanding?” Brian clearly did not believe me, and the weight in his tone had not lifted. “Where are you now? Come to the restaurant. Let’s talk about this in person.”
“No need for that, Brian,” I replied, staring blankly out the window. “I won’t have anything to do with him again. Whether that misunderstanding gets resolved or not makes no difference. Besides… I’ve already decided. Once this resort project is finished, I’ll apply for a transfer and leave the country. I don’t want to be dragged back into the past anymore. I’m sorry I missed the meal today. I’ll treat you another time. I don’t feel well, and I want to rest early.”
There was a long stretch of silence on the other end of the line before Brian finally gave in, though his voice remained heavy. “I know what kind of person you are, Lianne. If there really was a problem between you and Jeremy, then it had to be his doing. As long as I’m here in Brinewick, no one will dare lay a finger on you.”
I pulled out a bitter smile and tried to make light of it with a joke. “You’re making it sound far too serious. If my mate hears you saying this, he definitely won’t be happy.”
I did not want to wound him, and I also did not want him holding on to feelings he never should have had for me.
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