ENDURING {Sequel to Everlasting} ❗️EDITING ❗️

Chapter 29

"That is so ugly." I snort with laughter, pointing at his wreck of a t-shirt.

"You'll be the one wearing it." He sniggers, and I realise he's right. That instantly makes me burst out laughing, and I rest my head against his arm, feeling him shaking with laughter.

"Can't we just make more?" I ask hopefully, lifting my head and looking up at him with wide eyes. I'm trying to make puppy eyes, sue me.

"No." He smirks. He's really gonna make me wear that ugly ass t-shirt? The next date might be public.

"You're going to hell." I tell him, pegging the t-shirts up to dry.

He just chuckles quietly to himself. As Hardin cleans up the mess, I grab my phone from the spot I'd balanced it, and end the video. The book says to video as much of every date, and I plan to, because I like having memories to watch over and over again.

The t-shirt I did is quite pretty, the colours haven't mixed together and it's a neat spiral. The one Hardin made was supposed to be red, green, blue and pink, but they're all mixed together and the t-shirt is blotchy and uneven.

"I'm going to check on the chicken." Hardin says behind me.

"Ok." I respond, preoccupied with scrubbing the dye off my hands as much as I can.

It stains, which I expected. Should've really worn gloves. But YOLO, right?

We decided to make Italian baked chicken breast with Italian roasted vegetables, I say we, but Hardin did most of the work. I did offer to help multiple times, but I think he wants me to sit back and relax until the food comes to me.

As I head into the mansion through the back patio doors, I hear voices coming from the kitchen.

It's a female. "Can we just talk about this-"

"I told you months ago at the wedding, I haven't changed my mind." Hardin tells her.

"You should have told me you were having doubts about us, but you chose to humiliate me at the alter. I deserve better." The she-wolf retorts in anger, seemingly upset.

"You do deserve better, but you're not going to find it with me. We had an arranged marriage, that's all it was and I called it off. There's really nothing more to say on the matter." Hardin let's her down as easy as he can.

But the she-wolf is persistent. I just stay out of sight, partially curious as to what they both have to say even if I know I shouldn't be ears dropping.

"Because you're with her." Layla retorts with a loud scoff. Her?

I hear Hardin growl at Layla in warning. "Don't."

"She abandoned you, and you just let her walk back in here like it didn't affect you." Layla scoffs.

I swiftly turn the corner, making myself known. Hardin's eyes snap to me, and gives me a small shake of his head, warning me against assuming anything. I don't, I trust him.

But the female? That's different.

"Hi, I'm Kali." I smile politely, walking towards them both calmly.

The she-wolf is a little stunned to see me intruding, like she expected me to have some guilt or something.

"Layla." She says bluntly, her voice not as confident. Was she really dumb enough to talk shit about me when she knows I'm here?

I rest my hand on Hardin's arm, purposely leaning into him a little as I stare at Layla, my smile gently but my eyes anything but. She glances at my hand on him, like she can't believe I have the nerve.