Bound by Fate (Bound Duology Book#2)

A Moment Unplanned

Calista woke early the next morning, an uneasy feeling gnawing at her. The weekend was almost over, yet the plan Matteo and she had so carefully constructed seemed to be unraveling faster than she could hold it together. She was still furious with him—frustrated with herself for even caring. Despite everything they'd done to sabotage the engagement, their families seemed more resolute than ever.

After a tense breakfast where Matteo made more underhanded remarks, Calista excused herself to the gardens, hoping the cool morning air would clear her head. She wandered the garden paths, winding between rose bushes and ivy-draped statues. The quiet was soothing, helping her forget, at least for a moment, that her life was spiraling out of her control.

Her peace was shattered when she heard footsteps approaching from behind. She turned to see Matteo, hands in his pockets, watching her with an unreadable expression.

"Running away already?" he teased, though his voice held a strange gentleness.

She huffed, crossing her arms. "Maybe I'm just sick of hearing your voice."

"Touché," he replied, a ghost of a smirk playing on his lips. "Mind if I join you?"

She wanted to say no, to tell him to leave her alone, but something in his gaze stopped her. With a sigh, she nodded, and he fell into step beside her as they walked deeper into the gardens. They strolled in silence for a while, the tension between them heavy but less sharp than before, softened by the morning light and the lingering scent of roses.

Finally, Matteo broke the silence. "You know... this whole thing wasn't supposed to go this far," he admitted, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "When my parents suggested it, I thought it would blow over. I never expected them to actually go through with it."

Calista glanced at him, her anger momentarily fading. "Neither did I," she murmured. "But now, here we are. Stuck pretending to be something we're not."

He looked down, his jaw tight. "Yeah," he said quietly. "Pretending."

The way he said it made her heart skip a beat, but she quickly shoved the feeling aside. This was just another one of his mind games, another trick to get under her skin.

They reached the edge of the garden, where a small gazebo stood, half-hidden by overgrown ivy. Matteo motioned for her to sit on the bench inside, and she reluctantly agreed, sinking down onto the worn wooden seat. He sat beside her, leaning back, his eyes distant.

After a long pause, he spoke again, his voice low. "You ever think about what it would be like if things were... different?"

She frowned, caught off guard. "Different how?"

"If we'd met under different circumstances," he said, his gaze flickering to her. "If we didn't have all this... pressure."

She hesitated, not sure how to respond. "I don't know. I guess I never thought about it."

"Really?" he asked, his voice soft, almost vulnerable. "Not even once?"

The vulnerability in his tone was unexpected, and she found herself searching his face, trying to read the expression hidden.

Shortest chapter in this story,

Bisou,