Chapter 861
[ 574 words ]
Chapter 861:
Lianne’s POV
Ever since I left the hospital, Ethan had treated me as though I were made of glass. He insisted I stay home, rest properly, and leave everything else to him.
The moment I had nothing to occupy my mind, my thoughts began to unravel, dragging up every messy, half-formed fear I’d been suppressing. And Melisa kept rising to the surface, over and over, like something that refused to drown. Every time her face crossed my mind, that familiar, gnawing dread followed, refusing to be silenced.
I refused to sit around doing nothing. I needed a distraction, even a small one, to keep my thoughts from running wild.
It took days of pleading and pestering, but Ethan eventually caved and agreed to let me return to work.
He made his terms clear: fixed hours, regular check-ins, and no exceptions. Overtime was out of the question, and he made sure someone was always keeping an eye on me.
Luckily, the bulk of the work was already done, and the rest could be managed from my sofa. It was manageable, enough to keep me busy, but not enough to overwhelm me.
Ethan, on the other hand, had never been busier.
He left early, returned late, and moved through the house like a ghost. Most nights, I didn’t even hear him come in; I was already lost to sleep. And every morning, I woke to find his side of the bed empty.
I knew his work was demanding, but I couldn’t quiet the sense of dread coiling in my chest.
𝖮𝗋𝗴𝘢𝗻𝗶𝘻𝗲 𝘺o𝘂𝗋 𝗹𝘪𝗯ra𝗋𝗒 𝘰𝗻 𝗀𝖺𝗅𝘯о𝘷𝘦𝘭𝗌.с𝗼𝘮
Anna stirred within me, her voice low and troubled. “Do you really think nothing’s wrong with Ethan?”
Every time the doubt crept in, I smothered it with logic. He was just busy. That was all.
Then, one evening, he came to bed after showering, his movements so quiet I might have missed them if I hadn’t been waiting.
I rolled toward him and held him.
He flinched. Then he gave in, pulling me close, his hand on my hip.
I melted into his embrace, letting the warmth of his body wrap around me. The familiar scent of his body wash lingered in the air, slowly easing the restlessness that had been sitting in my chest.
“Ethan,” I murmured, “you’ve been working hard lately. Is the company swamped with new projects? You’ve been wearing yourself thin.”
He fell silent for a brief moment before answering quietly, “Yeah. A few projects happened to overlap. It’ll settle down soon.”
I accepted his explanation without asking any more questions. Then I took a slow breath, gathering the courage I’d been building up for days.
“Ethan, I’ve mentioned this before, but I want to bring it up again.” My voice was gentle but firm. “I want us to form a new mate bond.”
The moment those words left my mouth, I felt his body stiffen ever so slightly.
Resting comfortably against his chest, I failed to notice the complicated emotions that flashed through his eyes and simply continued, “I don’t care how Melisa feels about you. I’m not going to let her feelings come between us.” I tightened my arms around him a little. “We’ve already been through so much together. More than anything, I want you to become my mate again.”
I lifted my head just enough to smile at him. “I just want the peace of mind that comes with knowing we’re truly each other’s.” After a tiny pause, I added with a soft laugh, “You can think of this as me proposing to you instead.”
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