Page 123 of Hawthorne

For months now, we’ve been denying feelings that have been there ever since I set eyes on him. But last night, all of that denial, all of that restraint went out of the window.

We thought we could do this without having feelings involved. It was naïve to think that all that brought us together was an attraction.

We were wrong.So wrong.

I should have known that I wouldn’t last long. I fell for him, and I fell hard. But there is hope.

The king’s wife was clearly pregnant the last time I saw her at that party Edgar took me to. With their baby being born soon,Vincent’s responsibilities will lie solely with the title he already has. It may allow him to be with—or marry—whoever he wants.

There may be hope.

I feel myself smiling at the thought as my arm stretches on the bed, looking for the warmth of his body.

I want snuggles, and Vincent is a great snuggle in the morning when we manage to find the time.

My hand reaches cold sheets, and my eyes open, seeing the space next to me empty.

The giddiness that was flowing through my veins slows down, giving space to dismay. I guess something can rock my happiness, after all.And that’s him.

That realisation settles a heavy, unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I try to brush it off.

Vincent loves me, and he wouldn’t hurt me.

Not after everything we’ve been through and what we’ve said to each other last night.He’s just busy.

He’s hosting his mother’s birthday gala tonight. She insisted he’d be the host since they have barely been spending time together. She refused to have me in charge as he had first suggested, so he took over. Still, I have been helping him whenever I can…without her knowledge.

That reminds me that I also have a lot of things to get done. We’re probably not going to see much of each other today, but hopefully, we’ll be able to have some alone time after the gala. With that thought, I get up to get ready and start work right away.

I’ve had a shower before work, but with the number of things I have been carrying and moving around, I know I’ll be needing another one before tonight.

“Cami,” Alex calls from the ballroom. “The flower arrangements are wrong.”

“What do you mean?” I run in his direction to supervise it.

"The order was red, right?” He frowns.

“But these are...white?”

“Yes, and the delivery guy assured me the order was correct.”

“Well, they go with the decoration all the same. Place them, and I’ll see it with the duke,” I reassure him.

I walk to Vincent’s office through the disarray of people, tables, chairs, and decorations going around from one division to the other in preparation for tonight.

It’s also past lunchtime, and I’ve barely eaten, but this is my excuse to see him, so I might just take it to my advantage. Five minutes is all I need.

“Come in,” his voice sounds from inside after my knock.

“Hey there,” I whisper when I reach his desk.

His head rises from his paperwork just slightly as his gaze connects with mine before it falls again. He is barely even looking at me.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Nothing. I just have a lot to do today. What do you need from me?” His hands set the paperwork down and settle on top of each other while his face is cold and unreadable.

I haven’t seen that expression in a while.

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