a/n:
i've been waiting to write this chapter for so long. when i first had this story in mind, i knew i wanted to incorporate this. oops.
while ciarán was going inside, salem asked him to get her phone, since she left it charging on the kitchen countertop.
before returning outside, he found her phone, which he recognized because of her lockscreen—it was a photo of her and ciarán at the botanical garden—which was lit up due to multiple text messages.
ryan: salem
ryan: can we talk again?
his eyes reread the second text over and over again.
again.
even though there were more texts, he had seen enough. he felt sick to his stomach, and he knew that a pang of jealousy had hit him.
salem wondered what was taking him so long, so she got up and slid open the glass doors leading into the house. as soon as she stepped in, she wrapped her towel tighter around herself. there was a sudden drop in temperature, which contrasted the warmth that had previously enveloped her.
she found him with his back turned to her.
"cici?" she asked in a small voice, causing him to turn around.
"so you've been talking to your ex?" he asked coldly.
not only did she notice the sudden drop in temperature, but she also noticed ciarán's sudden change in attitude.
"it's not what it seems." she tried her best to keep her voice from trembling, but the feeling of hurt consumed her. did he really think of her like that?
"then what the fuck is up, salem?" ciarán suddenly spat, causing salem to flinch and shrink back. he noticed this, but he tried to ignore it. he was supposed to be mad at her.
"h-he's been texting me. i try—i've been trying to tell him it's over for good, i swear." salem couldn't hold it in anymore. she was tripping over her own words, and the lump in her throat grew rapidly as she stood there.
ciarán exhaled sharply through his nose. "how long?"
"how long what?" her voice was just barely above a whisper.
"how long have you been talking to him?" he asked, growing impatient.
she was hoping he wouldn't raise his voice at her anytime soon, so she was careful with her words. "he's been texting me ever since he saw me at the party, but i never responded until after our first date."
"and you decided to respond after our first date? do i even mean anything to you? am i still just a rebound?" he scoffed bitterly.
"ciarán, i don't know if you've noticed, but i fucking care about you, and—and you can't even comprehend how much you mean to me." she gulped, and the first tear ran down her face, which she quickly wiped away. she closed her eyes, continuing, "that night i met you, i didn't expect myself to fall for you right on the spot, yet i did."
when she opened her eyes again, she swore she saw ciarán's eyes soften. it wasn't a lot, but it was enough to reassure her.
he sighed, running his hand through his hair. "then why did you talk to him again a week after?"
"so that i could tell him it's over!" now salem was the one growing impatient. "why the hell were you looking at my texts anyway? do you not trust me?"
ciarán took one step toward her, and it took all the strength in her body to not step back. "what the hell am i supposed to think when i see that your ex is texting you?" he asked through gritted teeth.
"is it any of your business? no! so, stay out of my phone!" she yanked her phone from his hand.
"you're unbelievable, salem." he shook his head at her before walking away.
she watched him go, not bothering to stop him.
as soon as he left her sight, that was when she realized the warm, wet streaks running down her cheeks and onto her rotund lips.
