Page 84 of Ethereally Redeemed

Aurora.

And the man…he who killed Frederick Grimhill.

Chapter 32

Naya

I swallow harshly, butit feels as if lava is trickling down my insides, scorching me up alive. I can’t move, can’t breathe, can’t even think as I stare at the two of them inside the same space I’m in now.

“Naya, this is Aurora and Asher,” Everlee cheerfully says, not noticing the tension rolling through me.

“H-hi,” I stammer.

Aurora beams at me, her cheekbones full and her face healthy. She looks better than she did at Grimhill Manor, where nutrition was scarce. I can’t seem to move, feeling the panic washing over me in huge waves until it feels as if I’m gasping for breath. The urge to run away fills me, to hide for the rest of the evening and not return until our guests have left, but from what Everlee told me, they will be staying the weekend as they live a few hours away from here.

You can do this,I try telling myself, fidgeting with a rubber band around my wrist—another trick Camila taught me. I pull at it, and the sting against my skin brings me back to the present, where I dare face Aurora.

She walks up to me, her stride graceful. “It’s so good to see you,” she tells me.

I don’t know if she recognizes me from Grimhill Manor, but the look in her eyes shows a deep understanding between the two of us, hinting that she does know.

“You too,” I reply, if not awkwardly.

Grey greets the man—Asher—whose eyes seem brighter than the fury he showed those years ago at Grimhill Manor.

“Hot chocolate, anyone?” Everlee asks, and we follow her into the kitchen.

Beside the kitchen and inside the living room is a beautiful Christmas tree, not yet decorated as Everlee wanted to decorate it together.

She offers each of us a cup of hot chocolate, and we settle down into the couches before the stone hearth, where a fire is already crackling, sending heat through the room, which is necessary after what Grey and I did. A faint blush creeps up my cheeks.

“How have you guys been?” Everlee directs her question to Aurora and Asher with genuine interest.

“Things are going great,” Aurora replies happily.

Asher grabs Aurora’s hand and lays it in his lap, and it’s at that moment I notice the glittering ring delicately wrapped around her finger.

“Are you married?” I ask, out of pure curiosity.

Aurora looks lovingly at Asher. “Engaged. We’re planning our wedding.”

Conversation fades out as I feel Grey leaning down, whispering in my ear. “What would you say about a ring around your finger?”

I sputter on my breath—luckily, no one notices—and look back at Grey with wide eyes. “Are you joking?” He must be—he’s never brought up marriage before.

“Does it look like I’m fucking joking, little doll? I want to put a ring on your finger and fill you with my babies. That way, you have no choice but to stay with me,” he smugly says.

“Babies?” I squeal, loud enough for everyone to hear. Their heads turn toward me, but quickly continue their conversation as I scowl at Grey. “You don’t have to put a ring on my finger to get me to stay with you,” I finally murmur.

“No, but it’d show my ownership to everyone else.” He castsme a wink.

I try to focus on the conversation at hand, but it’s nearly impossible with Grey behind me. I’m in his lap, feeling his bulge pressing into my ass while the others are none the wiser.

I meet Everlee’s eyes across the other couch, Draven’s arm draped over her shoulder. Her eyes glisten with unshed tears, and I stare back at her, eyebrows furrowed.

“I just…I could never imagine spending Christmas like this, with all of you. It’s more than I could have ever hoped for back at Grimhill Manor, and I’m so grateful,” she says in reply to my confused expression, her voice thick with emotions.

Draven’s shoulder tenses at her uneasy demeanor, staring her down, but he quickly conceals it.

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