SERAPHIM'S POV
The house felt different that morning, it felt lighter, too quiet, but in a good way.
Grey's mother had left earlier, one of the maids mentioned it when I stepped out of my room and the air in the villa finally loosened its tight grip.
For once, the place didn't feel like it was watching me. I walked slowly down the stairs, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, my body still felt heavy from the awkwardness and confusion I carried back from Nana's house, somehow I'd slept, but my mind hadn't rested at all.
Everything still replayed vividly, Natasha laughing, Natasha asleep on that mattress, the warmth of her beside me. And of course, that moment I caught myself looking at her too long. Thinking too much. Wanting too much.
I inhaled sharply and shook my head as I reached the dining area.
The table was empty. The chairs were neatly arranged, It felt strange without Grey's mother sitting upright like a schoolteacher, monitoring even how I held my spoon.
I poured myself a glass of water and sat down, letting the silence wrap around me. Maybe if I stayed quiet enough, my head would stop spinning.
But it didn't.
Natasha's face kept sliding back into my thoughts, the curve of her smile, the way she'd looked up at me when she walked in late that night, the warmth in her hug that felt almost… necessary.
I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.
This was stupid. I shouldn't be thinking about it. I shouldn't feel… whatever it was I was feeling. It's starting to feel too real, but I could swear to my mother's grave that I wasn't gay, so why now? I asked myself in my head.
The clink of a glass nearly slipped from my hand.
"You didn't even hear me walk in."
Grey's voice came from behind me, low and unreadable.I turned too fast, almost dropping the cup. "Oh….uh….I didn't… I was just…"
He raised a brow, studying me like I was a puzzle missing pieces. I hated when he did that. It made me feel exposed even when I wasn't doing anything wrong. But this time… I was doing something wrong.
Or at least thinking something wrong.
"Are you okay?" he asked, voice flat but too observant.
"I'm fine," I replied quickly. Too quickly.
His eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't believe me. Of course he didn't. Grey noticed more than he pretended to.
I looked away, pretending to adjust the glass. My fingers trembled a little. I hoped he didn't see.
But Grey always saw.
The silence stretched. The longer it hung, the more suffocating it became. And I hated that he had the ability to make my thoughts even louder.
As if on cue, footsteps approached.
Grey pulled out a chair and sat opposite me, keeping his eyes on my face the whole time.
Damn. This wasn't going away.
GREY'S POV
She was acting strange.
Not her usual moodiness, not her stubbornness, no, this was something else, something distant, something that made her eyes look like they were somewhere entirely different.
And it irritated me because I didn't know what or who put that look there.
She kept zoning out. Her fingers tapped the table softly, like she wasn't aware of it, her breathing wasn't steady, her gaze flicked everywhere except at me. To anyone else, she might've looked normal.
But I'd spent enough time forced into this arrangement with her to notice details. And right now, every detail screamed that her mind was somewhere she didn't want me to see.
And I didn't have time for that.
"Seraphim," I said calmly, leaning back in the chair. "Look at me."
She did, but there was hesitation, like she had to drag herself back from wherever her mind was stuck.
"Next Saturday is the Williams family function," I continued. "You know how important that is."
She swallowed. "I know."
"Do you?" I asked, my voice low. "Because you seem… off."
Her brows drew together. "Off? How?"
I stared at her. Long enough for her to squirm a little.
"I don't care what's distracting you," I said plainly. "But I need you to focus, not spacing out, not looking like you're hiding something."
She blinked rapidly, eyes widening slightly almost guilty.
I didn't push more than that. If she had something going on, I didn't want the details.
I just needed her to hold herself together long enough to get through the function without handing my mother another reason to doubt this marriage.
My tone stayed even, almost bored, because emotional reactions weren't my thing. But I knew she could hear the warning beneath it.
"If there's something bothering you," I said, "handle it before Saturday. I don't need you giving anyone reasons to ask questions."
She opened her mouth, then closed it.
"I'm… fine," she said again, softer this time.
I didn't believe her. Not for a second.
But I also didn't have the patience to dissect her emotions.
I stood up and left her there.
Let her deal with whatever storm she was carrying.
Just as long as she didn't bring it into the function.
SERAPHIM'S POV
The moment he walked away, my shoulders slumped.
My chest felt tight, my stomach twisting itself into knots. How did he notice so easily? Why did he notice so easily?
I pressed my palms to my forehead and exhaled shakily.
Natasha.
It was always the thoughts of Natasha.
I hated that her name alone made my pulse jump. I hated that I couldn't explain it. I hated that it felt wrong and yet… warm.
Why am I like this? Why am I thinking of her?
I stood abruptly, pacing around the room. The more I tried to stop thinking about her, the more my mind replayed little details, her laugh, her eyes, her voice saying "I missed this."
My skin prickled with heat and embarrassment.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
Not to me,not now, not with her.
I sat on the sofa and hugged a pillow close, trying to ground myself.
My phone buzzed.
The vibration shot straight through me.
I swallowed hard before reaching for it.
When the screen lit up, my breath caught.
NATASHA:
"Hey babe…
Can we hang out again?
I miss you already."
The pillow slipped from my hands.
My heart dropped, then lifted, then started giving a rhythmic fast beat. I stared at the message until the letters blurred.
This wasn't going away, not anytime soon.
And I didn't know if I should be terrified...or secretly relieved.