Chapter 25

Tori’s POV

My eyes opened slowly, the sunlight hitting my face in a way that made me squint as I adjusted to the morning glow, and only then did I notice the window I somehow never paid attention to before.

Last night came rushing back all at once, uninvited and heavy, and I felt my stomach tighten at the memory.

How did I let it get that far? How did I allow him to do that to me? I could still feel it so vividly, the way his fingers explored too boldly, the way everything could have crossed a line completely if he hadn’t stopped himself when he did.

That was the part that unsettled me the most.

Because he had the chance. He really did and he pulled back. He had the chance to get everything he has always wanted.

And now I was stuck with the question of why someone like him would stop when he clearly didn’t have to.

My hand pressed against my forehead as regret settled in, heavy and uncomfortable. It didn’t make sense that I had let myself fall into something like that, especially with him of all people.

He was someone I hated and I could remember how well I have always assured her that nothing was ever going to happen between us.

The curtain had already been drawn open, so it had to have been him.

I pushed myself up slightly, but even that movement brought back flashes I wasn’t ready for, the way he had lifted me from the floor so easily and placed me back on the bed like I weighed nothing.

The memory of his hands lingered longer than I wanted it to, the way they had moved over my skin, unhurried and confident, the way his lips had taken their time as if he had nowhere else to be.

We had shared moments before, but nothing like that, nothing that had left my thoughts this messy.

He was a good kisser, and I hated that my mind kept circling back to it. I really need to get these thoughts out of my head.

I exhaled sharply, trying to push it away.

*********

Breakfast had a strange kind of tension that morning, like the kind of silence that sits too heavy in a room where people are pretending everything is normal.

It had been a while since we all gathered like this, especially with how busy everyone had been lately, and yet today it felt more like a performance than a family meal.

Kael and his father have been going out and I also had no idea about what they have been doing.

I glanced at Laura, but she didn’t look at me. She was focused entirely on her food, her expression tight, her mood clearly off in a way she wasn’t even trying to hide.

"Good morning, Laura," I said with a smile that didn’t quite match the unease in my chest.

She finally looked up at me, but there was nothing warm in it. Her eyes held something sharp, something distant, like she was already annoyed before I even spoke.

The normal Laura would have been the first person to greet me. I really don’t want to do anything to harm this friendship

She didn’t respond right away, just held my gaze for a second too long before returning to her food.

I swallowed lightly, unsure if I had done something wrong. Was it because go the way Kael had treated me immediately after the incident?

Had I offended her somehow?

I felt Kael’s presence before I even looked at him, the subtle shifts in the air between us giving him away as his gaze moved between both of us, observant and unreadable.

"Good morning," she finally said after a pause, her tone flat. "Hope you slept well?"

"Oh yes," I replied softly, forcing myself to continue eating even though my appetite had already started to disappear.

Then I felt it. It was a hand on my thigh.

My entire body went still for a fraction of a second before I forced myself to keep moving like nothing had happened, because I already knew who it was without even looking. Kael.

At first, I thought maybe it was subtle, maybe even accidental, something meant to calm me after whatever tension Laura was carrying, but then his hand shifted again, more deliberate this time, and my breath caught quietly in my throat.

He looked forward like nothing was happening, completely composed, as if his hand wasn’t slowly moving under the edge of my gown.

I swallowed hard, my grip tightening slightly around my utensils as I tried to maintain my composure.

His fingers trailed along my inner thigh, unhurried, testing, and I felt my body react against my will. The sensation alone was enough to make my thoughts scatter, especially when his touch shifted in a way that felt intentional, too aware, too familiar with exactly what he was doing.

I forced myself to keep eating, even though everything inside me had frozen.

"When will they be going back, Dad?" Laura’s voice cut through the silence suddenly, sharp and impatient.

The question made me blink, pulled out of whatever haze I was slipping into.

"After the festival starts in the next two days," her father replied calmly. "Why are you asking?"

Laura didn’t answer. She just dropped her cutlery with more force than necessary, the sound echoing slightly in the quiet room, and stood up without another word.

She walked out of the room quickly, her anger obvious even without explanation

And that was when it hit me.

She knows.

My chest tightened as I watched her leave, my thoughts suddenly spiraling. The way she had looked at me, the way she had avoided me completely, it all made sense in a way I didn’t want it to.

She definitely knew something had happened between Kael and me. How the hell did she get to know about it then?

Fuck.