"Wait, wait, Shane..."
"Bite your tongue."
“Listen to me...ouch!”
Everything around was spinning. Shane literally threw her into the carriage like a sack of things. But as soon as she was even one step away from him, Adaline immediately grabbed onto him, as if she was afraid that he would disappear.
She wanted to explain something, but her tongue seemed stuck to the roof of her mouth.
Shane placed his hand on her hand, clutching his clothes. He paused. Then he gently but confidently removed it.
"At home." - he said dryly.
He didn't even look at her. Not a glance. Not a drop of emotion.
[He's really angry. For real. So much so that he doesn’t even want to see her.]
[What to do?]
Adaline was confused. [My head is empty. She didn’t know where to start, what to say, how to return what had already become distant.]
[This wasn't the first time Shane got angry. This has happened more than once since they met again. She even hoped that one day he would get so angry that he would leave. Forever. He will tear her away from himself, tear her out of life.]
[It may be painful, but it’s simple. Run away.]
But every time he looked into her eyes. Even when she looked away, he didn't allow it. He held me by the chin and forced me to look at myself.
[He has never ignored her like this.]
Shane climbed into the carriage.
"Shane..."
“We’ll talk at home, Adaline. When I'm ready to listen to all this nonsense."
She opened her mouth... but then closed it. The carriage started moving. And Shane still never looked at her.
[What can I say? What can you say? Damn, I'm an idiot.]
[It wasn't a matter of explanations. It's not about how to turn the situation to your advantage. Anything she could say would sound pathetic. As an excuse.]
[And even now, she was disgusted with herself. Because my first thought was: it’s not my fault. I wanted to say it out loud. But that’s not the point.]
[Lusian dragged her there - yes. But she agreed. It was her choice. She could have refused. But she didn't do it. Her duty to Lucian seemed more important to her than Shane's feelings.]
[And Shane...he tried to hold her because he felt that she wanted to leave again.]
[When she sat in a cafe, waiting for the magician, she was almost not surprised when it was he who was nearby. He wasn't angry then. He just quietly asked: don’t be mad at me.]
[Adaline didn't think deeply. She took it for granted that he would always find her. No expectations. No hope.]
[And yet...before I didn't care if he was angry. And now everything has changed.]
She bit her lip and lowered her head.
The carriage stopped at the Blanchard mansion.
Shane came out first and, without looking, helped her down. Seeing that her shoulders were bare, he exhaled irritably through his teeth and threw his cloak over her. Then he took her hand tightly and led her into the house. Not a single servant was visible.
He looked into her eyes for the first time all evening. only when he closed the bedroom door behind them. He let go of her hand.
“Who are you dressed up like that for?”
“I didn’t choose this dress...”
“And that bastard seemed pleased.”
“...No one really looked at me.”
[Except you.]
Without thinking, Adaline grabbed his hand again. He didn't push away. On the contrary, he intertwined his fingers with hers, hugged her waist with his other hand and pulled her towards him.
Shane slowly touched his lips to her forehead. I brushed it across my eyebrows. By centuries.
“Well, come on. Speak, Adaline. Now, perhaps, I’m ready to listen to whatever you come up with.”
She was silent.
“Why did you go there? What did you need?
"Lucian."
He froze.
“He was the one who dragged me there. I didn't even know where we were going."
His hand rested on her neck, cupping her cheek. But not rudely, on the contrary, carefully, affectionately. His fingers touched the hair next to his ear. Adaline looked straight into his eyes, hoping that he would sense her sincerity.
"I didn't mean to run away."
“And yet you dated Lucian Cole?”
She looked down.
“It's okay, Adaline. I told you I don’t expect anything.”
[Not that you will love me. Not something you won't hate.]
[I'm still holding on to you. No matter what.]