The bouquet of roses arrived at her door the next morning, accompanied by a sleek black box wrapped in satin ribbon. Alessia stood at the threshold of her apartment, staring at the delivery, her heart heavy with the memory of last night’s conversation. She knew exactly who had sent the flowers, but she didn’t want to acknowledge it. Her emotions were still a tangled mess of anger, betrayal, and something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on—something closer to longing.
She picked up the card nestled between the deep red petals and opened it, her fingers trembling.
“I’m sorry. I love you, Alessia. I always have. Let me make it right. —Josh”
Her lips pressed into a thin line as she tossed the card onto the kitchen counter. She should have thrown the flowers out too. Should have slammed the door in his face when he inevitably showed up. But she couldn’t bring herself to. Even now, after everything, there was still a part of her that ached for him, that wanted to believe that he could change. That they could go back to how things were before.
As she unwrapped the box, her breath caught in her throat. Inside was a delicate gold necklace, a small diamond pendant glistening in the morning light. It was beautiful, undeniably so, but there was something hollow about the gesture. Gifts couldn’t erase the betrayal. A necklace couldn’t fix the cracks in their relationship.
But when her phone buzzed a few minutes later, her resolve faltered.
It was a message from Josh: “I’m downstairs. Can we talk?”
Alessia’s heart raced as she stared at the message, her thumb hovering over the screen. She knew she should ignore him, at least make him sweat for a little longer, but before she could stop herself, she typed back a simple, “Come up.”
Josh arrived at her door looking disarmingly handsome, his sharp jawline freshly shaved, his tailored coat emphasizing his broad shoulders. The scent of his cologne—clean, woodsy, and intoxicating—filled the air between them, stirring memories of all the nights they had spent wrapped up in each other. His dark eyes softened when they met hers, a mix of guilt and longing written across his features.
“Hey,” he said softly, his voice laced with sincerity. He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming the small entryway. “I’m glad you let me come up. I know I messed up, Alessia.”
She crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe, trying to maintain the wall of anger she had built between them. “That’s an understatement.”
“I know,” Josh sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve been thinking about everything—about you, about us—and I hate what I did. I hate that I hurt you. It was a weak moment. A stupid, weak moment, and I swear to you, it didn’t mean anything.”
Alessia’s jaw clenched. “A weak moment that lasted a year.”
Josh winced at her words, taking a deep breath as he stepped closer, the space between them shrinking. “I know. I can’t take that back, and I won’t make excuses. But you have to know—you’re the one I want. You’re the one I’ve always wanted.”
Her heart hammered in her chest as he reached for her hand, his touch warm and familiar. She wanted to pull away, to tell him to leave and never come back, but her body betrayed her, letting him hold on. There was something about Josh—his charisma, his confidence—that always drew her in, even when she knew she shouldn’t.
“I’m not just saying this to make things better,” he continued, his voice low and smooth. “You’re my priority, Alessia. I want us to work. I need us to work.”
His words hung in the air, a mixture of sweet promises and painful memories colliding in her mind. She knew better. She knew what kind of man Josh was. But his touch, his voice, the way he looked at her like she was the only woman in the world—it was all too much.
YOU ARE READING
A Blissful Lie
Romance"A Blissful Lie" follows the tumultuous journey of Alessia Roberts, a 24-year-old university student living in a society where polygamy is accepted and her relationship with Joshua, a successful and charismatic man, is deemed normal despite him havi...
