Chapter 45 THE KISS TRUTH
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ADELINE
I was laying, curled up in her bed. The only source of light was the faint light from the window casting soft shadows across the room.
The fever clung to me like a heavy weight, sapping my energy and leaving me too weak to do much more than breathe. I was tired and miserable. I was not in my usual self, my usually bright eyes were dull, my skin pale and damp with sweat.
The past two days had been a blur of restless sleep and silent moments of staring at the ceiling. I had no strength to even get up from bed.
Aurora sat nearby in a chair, one leg tucked beneath her as she flipped through a book she wasn’t really reading. She had been by my side almost constantly, worried about my fever and my uncharacteristic quietness.
A smile appeared o my lips knowing she was always there for me after my father’s death. She had been a source of happiness in my life and I thanked God everyday for that.
“Addie, are you hungry? You barely ate anything earlier,” Aurora asked softly, setting the book aside and leaning forward to check the damp cloth on my forehead.
I shook my head weakly, my lips barely parting as I muttered, “No, I’m fine.”
But Aurora wasn’t convinced. Even I was not either. I could not get Luciano out of my mind. The thought of him and Elena having some past made my appetite to die.
I looked at aurora and caught her staring at me. She could see that something deeper than the fever was eating at me. I wasn’t just sick—I was weighed down by something heavy, something that had been gnawing at me since before I’d fallen ill.
It was only because of Luciano. Talking about him, he indeed came to check on me and was here till the evening and I ignored him in these two days by sleeping. It was the best option out of all the sensible ones.
“You’ve been so quiet,”
Aurora said, sitting on the edge of the bed now.
“I know you’re not feeling great, but there’s something else, isn’t there? You’ve been lost in your own head ever since you got back.”
I hesitated, my eyes flickering toward Aurora before darting away. I pulled the blanket tighter around me, as though trying to shield myself from the conversation.
“It’s nothing,” I mumbled, though my tone betrayed me.
“Adeline.” Aurora’s voice was firmer now, though still gentle.
“I’ve known you long enough to know when something’s wrong. You can talk to me. Please.”
The sincerity in Aurora’s voice made my chest tighten. I had been holding it in for days, the weight of my thoughts and emotions threatening to crush me. I closed my eyes for a moment, gathering the courage to speak.
“It’s about Luciano,” I finally admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. Even though my throat ached and I did not want to speak but I did to relax my heart.
Aurora’s brows knit together in concern. “What about him?”
My hands clenched the blanket, my fingers twisting the fabric as I tried to find the right words. “I heard…something,”
I began slowly. “When we were coming back from the woods, I overheard Luciano and Christian talking. They didn’t know I was awake.”
Aurora stayed quiet, encouraging me to continue with a gentle nod. She was concerned and she moved closer to hold my hand.
“Christian said…” My voice wavered, the memory of the conversation still fresh and raw in my mind.
“He said that Elena might be behind everything. That she’s been in love with Luciano for years. And—” I paused, swallowing hard.
“And that they might have a past.”
Aurora’s expression shifted to one of shock, quickly followed by sympathy. She reached out, placing a hand on my arm.
“Oh, Addie…”
My eyes filled with tears, but I refused to let them fall.
“I don’t know why it’s bothering me so much,” I admitted, my voice trembling.
“I mean, I know he had a life before me. I shouldn’t care, but…I do. I can’t stop thinking about it. What if she’s still in his heart? What if he’s just pretending with me?”
Aurora shook her head firmly. “Don’t do that to yourself,” she said.
“Luciano cares about you. Anyone with eyes can see that. Whatever he had with Elena, if there even was something, it’s in the past.”
“But what if it’s not?” I whispered, my voice cracking. I could not help but think the worst of all.
“What if she’s the reason for everything that’s happening now? What if…” I trailed off, unable to finish the thought.
Aurora leaned closer, her expression soft but resolute.
“Adeline, listen to me. Luciano isn’t the kind of man who would string you along. If he’s with you, it’s because he wants to be. And if Elena is trying to mess with him—or with you—that’s on her, not him. You can’t let this destroy what you have with him.”
I let out a shaky breath, my eyes closing again as I tried to absorb Aurora’s words. “It just hurts,”
I admitted after a long pause. I wanted to stay strong and think of all the positive aspects of life with Luciano but it was something I could not control.
“The thought of him being with her, even if it was a long time ago…it hurts.”
Aurora gave her arm a reassuring squeeze.
“That’s because you love him,” she said simply.
“And that’s okay. But you have to trust him, baby. You have to believe that what you have with him is real, or else you’ll drive yourself crazy over things that might not even matter anymore.”
I nodded weakly, though the ache in my chest didn’t fully ease. “I just…I don’t know how to bring it up to him,” I said.
“What if he gets mad? What if it pushes him away?”
Aurora smiled gently. “If he really loves you—and I think he does—then he’ll understand. Just be honest with him, babe. That’s the only way you’ll get the answers you need.”
I sighed, the weight of the conversation leaving me feeling even more drained than before.
“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice hoarse.
Aurora smiled again, brushing a strand of hair away from my face. “Get some rest,” she said.
“We’ll figure this out together, okay?”
“ what about you and Christian ? “
I asked her. The name of Christian instantly breaking a soft smile on her face making me look at her with a confused look yet a small smile plastered on my face knowing it was something good.
“ we kissed ! “
She squealed making me widen my eyes in shock and before I could process anything, she jumped on me in excitement as I groaned.
“ sorry! “
I chuckled as she laid next to me on bed.
“ how was it? The kiss? “
I turned to her and she smiled before pulling me in her arms. She winked at me before her cheeks warmed up in shame.
“ whom did you kiss? “
The deep voice made us both to widen our eyes. Our head snapped to the person standing in front of us. Aaron.