𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐄 ~ | 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘓𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘤

XXIII

Chapter Twenty-Three:

~ In which everything goes wonderfully wrong ~

Evie's POV

The right thing.

What the hell did that even mean?

People always say that life isn't fair, but no one truly understands the depth of that statement until they find themselves in a situation like mine.

I'm supposed to be in love with Matteo; I'm supposed to be his partner, his best friend, his everything. And yet, here I am, sitting in this room, feeling the aftershock of Charles' lips on mine, wondering if it was all some sort of twisted dream.

It had been hours since he had left. I think. Time seemed to have lost its meaning, its purpose, its very essence. All that I could feel was the thudding of my heart, the burning in my cheeks, the ache in my lips.

Even though the rational part of my brain was still stuck with the thought of Matteo, of us together, of the future we had planned...

but my heart, it seemed to have a mind of its own.

It kept replaying that moment, that kiss, over and over again, drowning out everything else. It was as if Charles had somehow managed to capture a piece of my soul, and he held it hostage in that one fleeting moment. I could taste him on my lips, feel his breath mingling with mine. 

It was intoxicating, and terrifying.

But the worst part is, I don't want it to go away.

I didn't want to feel this way. I wanted to hate him for what he had done, for taking advantage of my vulnerability, for making me question everything. But somehow, amidst the confusion and the guilt, there was a strange, inexplicable comfort in the memory of his lips against mine.

His touch was like a balm to a wound I didn't even know I had, And even as I tried to deny it, to push it away, a part of me...craved it.

"Lily?"

Matteo.

I froze.

What the hell was he doing out here at this hour?

I stayed silent, hoping that maybe he would just go away. But Matteo was nothing if not persistent. He knocked again, harder this time, the sound echoing through the room like a death knell.

I couldn't bear to face him. Not now, not like this. I didn't know what to say, or what to do. My heart felt like it was being torn in two, and I couldn't deal with this right now. I had no idea what I was going to do and I was even more afraid of what I might do if I talked to him at all.

"Lily, please. I need to talk to you. Just open the door..." He pleaded through the door. I scrambled to my feet.

"Or what? You'll force your way in again?" I stopped beside the door. There was a pause.

"Please, Lils. I just want to talk. I'm so sorry for what happened. I never meant for it to go this far." His voice was soft, pleading. It was the voice that had once whispered sweet nothings in my ear, that had made me feel safe and cherished. Now, it seemed empty.

"Lily, please. I know you're hurt, but I need to talk to you. I love you, and I want to make this right." He knocked again softer this time.

I sighed. I should probably hate him but all I could feel was pity and regret. I opened the door slowly, my eyes still red and swollen from crying. Matteo stood there, his face a mask of pain and guilt.