Chapter 41
Denial
Veronica’s POV
I pulled away from him, shocked and disoriented. I could only stare at him. my mouth opening and closing with no explanations to offer. My heart was pounding as I realized just how screwed I was.
Orthon’s expression was unreadable and it made me even more nervous. What was I supposed to tell him now?
“Hey, I thought your lips were sexy and decided to steal a kiss?”
I sounded like a fucking freak! The pervert kind of freak!
“Veronica…” he stood up and I staggered back.
“I’m sorry… I don’t know what came over me or what I was thinking… it just happened so fast and I couldn’t even…I was going to move back… I mean that’s not… Oh God!” I stuttered helplessly.
“It’s okay…” he said softly, stepping towards me but I moved backwards.
“No! No! It was a fucking mistake and it should have never happened. I don’t know what I was thinking…”
“Veronica, I said it’s okay,” he reached for my shoulders, holding me in place so I wouldn’t run. Which was most likely the only thing preventing me from sprinting towards that door. He closed the gap between us and my breath caught.
“So what if you kissed me?” He shrugged with a light chuckle that sent my heart pounding. Why was he referring to it so casually? It was almost
like… like he was happy about it.
“Orthon…” I breathed as he lowered his head slowly. I could literally hear my own heartbeat in my cars. “You can’t…”
Those soft lips pressed against mine and I lost my breath for a second. My head went completely blank as he kissed me, and my whole face heated
- up.
There was no way this was actually happening, right? Orthon was not kissing me, it was all in my head, it had to be. When he bit my lip softly. seeking permission, that was when my senses returned and I pushed him off me.
“Veronica…” he called softly but I dashed out of the room before I would freaking pass out.
I ran down the hallway, my heart pounding as I tried to make se
sense of what had just happened. My fingers touched my lips, still tingling from his kiss. No, no, no. This couldn’t be real.
“Get it together, Veronica,” I whispered to myself, gripping the stair railing tightly. “It was nothing. Just a stupid mistake. That’s all it was.”
But it didn’t feel like nothing. It felt like my entire world was crumbling and I was just floating.
I reached my room, slammed the door shut, and leaned against it. My legs gave out, and I slid to the floor, burying my face in my hands. How could I let this happen? I wasn’t supposed to feel this way, especially not about him.
Orthon was off–limits. A line I was never supposed to cross, not even in my thoughts.
And yet, here I was, my heart racing like it had betrayed me.
I kept replaying the moment in my head. The way his eyes had softened. The way his voice had calmed me. And then the kiss. His lips had felt.
warm and sure like he wasn’t afraid. Even though it lasted for just seconds, it was the most beautiful thing that had happened to me in a very long time
“Stop it!” I said out loud. shaking my head as if I could erase the memory. “It didn’t mean anything.”
But no matter how much I tried to tell myself that, the more I felt like it did
Then there was a sudden knocking on the door.
“Veronica, please open up.” Orthon pleaded, but I couldn’t bring myself to. “Vee, please… we can talk about this, okay?”
I wasn’t sure I wanted to. I wasn’t mentally prepared to have that conversation.
“Vee? Vee! I know you’re in there: just open up, please!” He pleaded.
“Go away, Orthon, please…” I mumbled under my breath, hoping he would just leave and give me time to forget all about this.
“I understand it was too sudden for you, but please don’t shut me out…” he pleaded, and the emotion in his voice made me tremble.
“My father invited you to stay for dinner,” I said instead. “Please go away,” I added before I could stop myself.
“Fine, but anytime you’re ready, you know where to find me,” he said but I wasn’t sure I was ever going to be ready.
How was I still supposed to see him as a friend after all that happened? I heard his retreating footsteps but I was more worried about how I would behave with him when it was time for dinner.
I couldn’t possibly skip it because of my father. This was our chance to bond and I couldn’t disappoint him simply because I couldn’t face Orthon.
I sat on the floor, hugging my knees and trying to calm down. My chest. felt tight like the air around me was too thick to breathe. What had I done? How had I let myself get so close, so out of control?
My fingers brushed my lips again, unbidden. His kiss had felt too real, too right, and that terrified me. Orthon wasn’t just anyone, he was my closest friend and my in–law, someone I trusted, someone I needed to keep at arm‘ s length for both our sakes.
I couldn’t mess this up. Not with him.
I forced myself to my feet, pacing the room to burn off the nervous energy. Dinner. I had to get through dinner. That was all. I could handle one meal without breaking down or letting on how flustered I was.
Couldn’t I?
I opened my closet, hoping the task of choosing something to wear would distract me. Instead, all I could think about was whether Orthon would notice what I chose. Whether he’d remember what just happened when he
saw me again.
“Stop it, Veronica,” I muttered to myself. “It’s just dinner. Act normal. Act like nothing happened.”
But acting normal around Orthon suddenly felt like an impossible task.
I eventually settled on a simple dress, something easy, something that wouldn’t draw attention. As I got ready, I practised deep breaths and blank expressions in the mirror, determined to keep my emotions in check.
By the time I made it downstairs, my father was already seated and thankfully, Orthon wasn’t there yet.
I descended the stairs and my father’s eyes radiated pride as he watched
- me.
“You are just as beautiful and graceful as your mother,” he confessed and my cheeks heated up, even though I felt a little uncomfortable. I guess with time, I will be open to his compliments.
sat beside him with a bright smile.
“I am glad to have you join me tonight,” he said and I offered another smile. Since I moved here, I have had all my meals in my room solely for the purpose of avoiding him.
I heard footsteps and turned to see Orthon, descending the stairs as well. He had an easy T–shirt on with a few buttons undone and shorts. This was the most casual I had seen him and it stressed me out.
Because casual Orthon was even more difficult to look away from and it was almost impossible not to drool, especially with that physique and perfectly curled hair.
I suddenly wasn’t confident anymore. I couldn’t do this. I had to leave.
As embarrassing as it was, I immediately stood up from the table.
“I’m sorry, Dad. I just lost my appetite,” I said quickly and stood up.
“Veronica…”
“I’ll see you at breakfast, Dad,” I cut him short, kissing his forehead hastily before dashing for the stairs.
It was until I got to my room that I realized what I had done and I felt like dying.
“Oh God! What is wrong with you Veronica!”
