Cursed To Love You

Chapter Three: Endless Returns

The morning sun cast a muted glow across the courtyard as Ren took a slow sip of his coffee, savoring the rare quiet. But before he could sink fully into solitude, an unmistakably cheerful voice interrupted.

“Good morning, Ren!”

He glanced up, already anticipating the sight of Amaris, who appeared with a bright smile and a basket filled with steaming pastries.

Ren sighed, setting down his cup. “You again?”

“Every day, my dear.” She laid the basket on the table with an exaggerated flourish. “You wouldn’t want me to give up so easily, would you?”

A slip of parchment fluttered down from above, written in Grim’s elegant hand: “An undying admirer—quite literally. Think you’ll ever rid yourself of her?”

Ren’s gaze flicked to the note, then back to Amaris. “Not sure yet,” he muttered. “Persistence isn’t exactly a virtue in this context.”

She only laughed, reaching into her basket and holding out a warm apple turnover. “Today’s gift: apple turnovers! Made fresh just for you.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she held it out.

He raised an eyebrow. “You realize your sweets change nothing?”

“Oh, of course,” she replied, beaming. “Can’t blame a girl for trying, though.”

As Ren took the pastry, the strange tension that had grown between them hung in the air, a silent game he couldn’t seem to escape. Amaris lingered a little too close, her hopeful gaze unyielding.

He sighed. “I suppose you’re expecting me to kill you now?”

She tilted her head, gaze unwavering. “Only if that’s what you truly want,” she teased, her tone light but challenging.

In a swift, practiced motion, Ren obliged. Amaris crumpled, her serene expression remaining until the very end, her form dissipating like a memory. But he knew better. She’d be back. She always came back.

“Persistent indeed,” another note from Grim drifted down. “Think she might stay away this time?”

Ren scoffed, tucking the note into his pocket. Yet, as the hours slipped by, his thoughts kept wandering back to her—a frustration he could neither name nor explain.

---

As the sun dipped low in the sky, casting long shadows across the courtyard, Amaris reappeared, strolling toward him with yet another basket. Her bright smile remained unbroken, as if nothing had happened hours before.

“Back so soon?” Ren asked, barely concealing his annoyance.

“Couldn’t bear to stay away,” she said, offering him a slice of chocolate cake. “Your favorite—or it would be if you’d just give it a chance.”

Grim’s note floated down once more: “Twice in one day. Must be a record, even for her.”

Ren ignored Grim, studying Amaris. Something about her seemed… different—a faint familiarity that stirred unease.

“Why?” he finally asked, suspicion lacing his voice. “Why do you keep coming back? Why me?”

Amaris’s smile faltered, just for a moment. She looked away, and in that fleeting instant, he caught a glimpse of something raw, something vulnerable. She brushed her hands on her dress, glancing at the ground.

“Why not you?” she replied, forcing a laugh that lacked her usual conviction. “I mean, who wouldn’t want the attention of a powerful sorcerer like you?”

Ren’s frown deepened. “That’s not what I meant. You… you seem familiar somehow.” He searched her face, his eyes narrowing. “But I don’t know why.”

Her laughter faded, replaced by a flicker of sadness she couldn’t quite conceal. “Maybe you’re just not ready to remember yet,” she said softly. “You never are, but the connection is there, deep down. We’ve shared countless moments, countless lives. I always find my way back to you.”

Ren felt an unsettling mix of intrigue and skepticism. The idea that they had known each other before, across different lifetimes, gnawed at him, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. “That’s… it sounds ridiculous.”

Amaris tilted her head, her eyes earnest. “But it’s true, Ren. You can’t deny what we have, even if you don’t understand it.”

He hesitated, a storm of conflicting emotions swirling within him. The notion of a bond that transcended time felt both enticing and terrifying. “I don’t know if I can accept that,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

With a sudden flash of frustration, he ended her “visit” once again. As she faded, her voice lingered, soft and wistful. “Until tomorrow, Ren…”

For a long moment, he stood alone in the courtyard, her final words haunting him like an unfinished melody. Another note from Grim floated down:

“Careful, Ren. She’s starting to get under your skin.”

Ren crushed the note in his fist, but even that couldn’t erase the unsettling feeling Grim might be right.

⭐

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