Page 102 of Fated

“What is it that you said I need to know?”

“I’ll tell you tonight,” he promised, his eyes soft but serious. “After you’ve made your decision.”

“Fine,” I murmured, barely louder than a whisper as I stood.

My legs felt unsteady beneath me, but I forced myself to move, holding my composure.

Without another word, I turned and walked toward the bathroom to get dressed, my mind a storm of swirling uncertainty.

What would tonight bring?

Chapter 25

Itook my time getting ready, needing the space to process the melee of emotions in me. First, there’d been that damn spider, and then Ash—the way he’d kissed me, stirring something inside me that I’d never felt before. In that moment, I had been so sure of everything. But then came the sting of his rejection, followed by his beautiful words of adoration and those wicked confessions.

I’d play his game.

Let him show me his life, his world. And tonight, I’d give my answer.

Ash and I shared a connection I didn’t completely understand, but it ran deep—deeper than anything I’d ever experienced.

Being with him felt like a missing piece of my soul snapping into place. I couldn’t imagine my life without him in it anymore—I didn’twantto imagine such a life.

Madam Pearl’s words echoed in my mind, how she had explained that sometimes, the divine were fated to one another, that they were like two halves of one soul, destined to be together and drawn to each other. She had said it was rare, but I’d been drawn to Ash since meeting him.

Even now, I could feel the invisible rope tugging at me, pulling me toward him—but that was the compulsion, wasn’t it?

Still, I had no doubt that even without the compulsion, I truly loved him. Despite not having known him very long, I couldn’t explain it, but he made me feel complete, whole.

Just thinking about him sent butterflies loose in my stomach and pulled my lips into a smile.

I took a deep breath. I had avoided thinking too much about that piece of magic—Ash’s compulsion. That piece of magic that had pushed me toward him so powerfully from day one.

I’d been selfish, using its power like a drug, seeking comfort in it.

But now, the question was beginning to weigh on my mind.

How much power did it actually hold over me? Could I really just ignore it, pretend it wasn’t there? Was it really hurting anyone? Or did I owe it to Ash to be honest with him? Unease settled in the pit of my stomach, the weight of the secret growing heavier with each passing moment.

I was almost certain Ash didn’t even remember what he’d done, the compulsion he’d used on me that first day. The thought haunted me, lingering at the edges of my mind. I wanted to push it away, to ignore it. I loved Ash and nothing could convince me otherwise.

But deep down, I knew I needed to ask him to break the compulsion. Soon, he would leave for Astern. How could I bear having that much space between us when I could hardly stand being in another room from him right now?

And I didn’t want there to be any secrets between us.

No, I wanted what we had to be real, untouched by any magic or spell. If I didn’t face this now, I’d always wonder and always question the depth of our connection.

The idea of living with that doubt scared me more than confronting him about it.

But I couldn’t shake the worry about how Ash would react when he found out I’d been keeping this from him. Would he be upset that I hadn’t brought it up sooner? Would he question mytrue feelings for him? The thoughts made my stomach twist into nervous knots.

I had no choice—I needed to be honest with him, to ask him to break the hold his magic had over me. It had to be done today—now, before I lost the nerve.

This wasn’t something I could run from any longer.

I looked myself over in the mirror, adjusting the cream-colored cotton shirt and pants, the nicest thing I owned. I slipped the bracelets out of the small gift box onto my wrist, their familiar weight comforting me. After a quick touch of lip gloss, I stuffed my things back into the bag, ready to face whatever came next; at least that was what I was telling myself.

Opening the door, I found Ash sitting on the edge of the bed, smiling at me, the sight of it warming my insides. I smiled back at him before sitting down next to him.

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