Page 32 of Silent Night Temptation

“I’m sorry,” I say, the words slipping from my mouth like a confession.

She pauses, her hand stilling for a brief moment. I see her taking it in, weighing it. And then, after what feels like an eternity, she speaks. “What happened?”

I exhale slowly. The sequence of events plays back in my mind, a blur of fists, rage, and regret. Everything had escalated so quickly. From the small, tentative glimmer of hope I’d carried into the room, to this.

“I’m worried, Nyree... No, I’m…” I falter, my throat tightening as the vulnerability of the moment hits me all at once. “I’m scared.” The words sound foreign, even to me. But they’re the truth. I see Nyree’s eyes widen slightly, startled by my admission.

But I don’t stop. There’s something about her presence, something about the way she sees me, that makes it impossible to hold back. “Coco… she’s everything to me,” I say, my voice hoarse. “She’s the most precious thing in my life. I don’t know how to do anything but protect her. It’s all I’ve done since the moment she was born. And Ethan…” I pause, the anger risingagain, though now it’s tinged with fear, not rage. “I don’t know, Nyree. I don’t know if this is all a game to him. I can’t stand the thought that it might be. That he’s using her to get to me. If he hurts her…”

I trail off, my breath catching in my throat. Before I even realize what I’m doing, I reach out and grab Nyree’s hand, clinging to it like a lifeline. Her fingers intertwine with mine, offering a quiet, steady comfort that stills the storm inside me, if only for a moment. She doesn’t say a word, but her eyes, those soft, understanding eyes, speak volumes. She knows. She understands the fear, the protectiveness that grips me so tightly it feels like I’m drowning in it.

I lean toward her, the pull between us is magnetic and irresistible. I’ve missed this, missed her. Amidst all the chaos, I’ve missed the quiet moments, the closeness, the simple comfort of being with her. I can feel the warmth of her breath on my skin as she leans in too. Her presence grounds me in a way nothing else can. And then our lips meet, and it’s like the world stops.

The kiss is soft and tender. It’s not hurried, not frantic, but slow and full, rich with the kind of affection that soothes instead of ignites. My hands find their way to her waist, pulling her closer. Everything else fades away. The anger, the fear, the uncertainty, all of it is replaced by the warmth of her.

The sharp sound of a voice cuts through the quiet like a knife.

“What the hell?”

Nyree jerks back from me so quickly, it’s as if she’s been burned. Her eyes dart to the door, and mine follow, my heart dropping into my stomach when I see who’s standing there.

Coco.

Her face is a mask of shock, her eyes wide and her jaw slack. She stands frozen in the doorway, her expression torn betweendisbelief and anger. Nyree covers her mouth with her hands, her body going still as the reality of the situation sinks in.

I feel everything crash down on me again, heavier than ever before.Damn it. Now she knows.

***

Nyree

The kiss lingers in the air, suspended between reality and some dreamlike haze. It’s a kiss that feels heavier than I imagined, charged with unspoken words and emotions. My heart skips, his lips on mine, his arms pulling me closer, binding me. I melt into him, surrendering to the raw intimacy of it all. Perhaps it's the wine, perhaps the champagne, or maybe it’s simply the undeniable gravity of him that makes me forget myself entirely. For just this moment, I allow myself to fall.

But as swiftly as I fall, I crash.

“What the hell?”

The voice cuts through the air like a sharp blade, tearing through the fragile web of bliss. My heart clenches, recognizing the voice before my mind has a chance to register it. It’s Coco. The moment unravels in an instant, and I pull away, as though a force beyond me has thrust us apart. I turn and see her there, standing frozen in the doorway. The stitches she holds in her hand slips out of her grip, the threads unraveling as they fall tothe floor. Her face is a perfect mask of shock, eyes wide, mouth agape, unable to comprehend what she’s just witnessed.

I clasp my hands over my mouth, suppressing the scream threatening to burst from my chest. It’s horror, shame, and regret all rolled into one suffocating ball. I can’t move, can’t speak. All I can do is stare at her, at Coco, at the person I feel like I have betrayed.

Time stretches. The silence is thick and unbearable. Coco’s breath comes in shallow, angry bursts, her chest rising and falling with growing fury. Marcus rises from his chair beside me, calm and resolved, as if he’s already resigned to confront the fallout. But before he can say a word, Coco explodes.

“What the hell is going on?!”

Her voice is sharp, accusatory, and the weight of her gaze lands squarely on me, pinning me in place like a criminal caught red handed. Her eyes are burning, demanding answers.

“…Nyree…”

She says my name as if it burns on her tongue, and my heart crumbles beneath the weight of her hurt. I open my mouth, searching for something, anything, that will make this right, but the words die in my throat. There is nothing I can say that will undo this.

“Coco, I…” My voice is strangled and weak, an apology that will never be enough.

“How long has this been going on?” she demands, her voice breaking as the anger beneath it rises. I can’t bring myself to meet her eyes, so I stare at the floor, praying for it to swallow me whole.

Marcus tries to intervene. “Coco, let me explain…”

But she doesn’t even acknowledge him. Her fury is directed entirely at me.

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