Shattered Heart's Plea

Chapter 13: When You Were Born

Chapter 13: When You Were Born

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Zoe woke up to the soft rustling of leaves against the glass window panes. She wanted to stretch her arms but felt her movements restrained. That's when she noticed she was nearly falling off the small love sofa, and the cushion behind her was—breathing.

Her eyes widened in bewilderment as her thoughts tumbled over one another. Carefully, she raised her head and turned to confirm her suspicion. A soft gasp escaped her lips when she saw Kinsley, snoring ever so gently, his arms wrapped loosely around her—sleeping right beside her.

What the f—

She wasn't sure when or how they ended up in this position. The last thing she remembered was seeing him sit back down at the opposite end of the sofa, unaware that she was still awake, and tucking a pillow under her head before she finally drifted off to sleep.

She held her breath as he shifted, praying silently that he wouldn't wake up now that she was still nestled in his arm. She was practically glossing over his majestic features, unable to look away despite the awkward situation she found herself to be in.

Like a bolt of lightning, the sudden realization jolted her. She scrambled off the sofa, wrenching herself from his embrace just as he opened his eyes. Their gazes locked for a brief, electrifying moment before she tumbled onto the heated wooden floor.

Zoe didn't wait a second before he could say anything to her as she shot to her feet and darted her way to her bedroom, the door shutting with a loud thud behind her. She was panting for breath as she leaned her back against the door, gently massaging her sternum to calm herself.

"What the heck, Zoe?"

She bit her lip, mentally berating herself. The urge to throw a tantrum was strong, but she was too wary of Kinsley hearing her. After a few tense moments, she strode over to her duffle bag, her footsteps echoing loudly on the wooden floor.

She walked out of the bedroom with her chin up, trying hard to mask her expression as she walked past Kinsley in the sitting area. He was just sitting up on the sofa, his eyes glazing behind her like a hawk watching her every move. She huffed a breath as she continued to ignore him and marched into the bathroom.

She took far too long inside the bathroom, mentally cursing herself to the moon and back. "How could I let that happen?!" she gasped, nearly choking on shower water when she inhaled some. "Does he not know personal space? I thought he went inside the room to sleep? Why did he come back out?!" Zoe groaned as she scrubbed the remaining soap bubbles off her body. She knew she had stayed too long under the shower and remembered they had to leave the lodge house early.

She quickly dressed in the clothes Nina had packed in her duffle bag—a black trouser jumper and a blouse similar to the one she wore leaving Tudor Manor. Taking a deep breath, she braced herself and held onto the door knob. After a moment's hesitation, she turned the knob and left the bathroom.

Zoe kept her eyes closed for a second, not wanting to make eye contact with Kinsley if he was right outside. When she opened her eyes, no one was in the main area of the suite. She sighed in relief and walked slowly towards the sofa, placing her duffle bag down.

"You should get ready,"

A startled screech escaped her mouth as she abruptly turned towards the source of the voice. Zoe instinctively reached for her beltline, as if searching for a gun. But she quickly relaxed when she saw it was just Kinsley, standing by the kitchenette.

"We're leaving in thirty minutes," Kinsley said, his brows furrowed at her reaction.

"Oh, okay," Zoe squared her shoulders and masked her expression as she faced Kinsley fully. "I'm pretty much done. All I have is one bag and, well, myself."