Chapter 35 Episode Thirty Five

Chapter 35 Episode Thirty Five
Diana

I moved through my chores one after another, dusting shelves, wiping down tables, putting things back where they belonged

Usually work helped clear my head but today, it did the exact opposite

Every few minutes my thoughts drifted back to Calum

To the way he'd looked at me during class
and the way he'd cornered me in his office afterward

I had to bite down on my smile before it split my whole face open

This was ridiculous

I was standing in the middle of a hallway with a cleaning cloth, grinning like a complete fool

Still, I couldn't stop

Everything felt lighter somehow, this little secret of ours suddenly didn't feel so heavy anymore

All the fear and guilt that had engulfed my heart before, disappeared like smoke

"What are you smiling about?"

I jumped so hard the cloth almost flew out of my hand

Madelyn stood a few feet away, arms folded, watching me with narrowed eyes

immediately, my smile died

"Nothing," I said a little too fast, head bent downwards

Her eyes narrowed even more

She clearly didn't buy it for a single second

"Diana" Her voice dropped "I'm only going to say this once....whatever it is you're doing" huh?? What was she talking about?

"I don't—"

"You heard me"

The sharpness in her tone made my stomach drop

"Ma'am Madelyn I honestly don't know what you're referring to"

She let out a short laugh that had absolutely no humor in it

"You might think you're being careful child, but I swear you're not"

A cold feeling settled deep in my gut. She had hinted at this before

I'd thought she knew but... How much exactly?

"People notice far more than you realize" she continued quietly

I forced a nervous laugh "I genuinely don't know what—"

"There's a lot you don't know about" she cut me off "And I'd prefer it stays that way"

The words sent a chill straight through me

Before I could say anything else she turned and walked away

I stared after her, Mt heart rate picking up, then she stopped

Half turned back

The look on her face made me go completely still. She didn't look angry or have that usual look of disapproval

She looked genuinely concerned for me, and honestly, that scared me the most

"It's for your own good" she said softly

Then she was gone

I stood there long after she disappeared around the corner

What was that about?

She knows Karina muttered

She doesn't know anything, I shot back

Sure

I shook my head and went back to work

Madelyn had always spoken in riddles. Half the time nobody knew what she meant and the other half she refused to explain herself

This was probably just another one of those moments

Probably

Still, her words sat in the back of my mind for the rest of the afternoon

By evening though, my mood had done a complete turnaround

Because Calum would be home soon

The thought alone was enough to make me smile again

Goddess!! What was wrong with me?

I heard the front door downstairs and my stomach immediately did something embarrassing

I hurried through the rest of my tasks and slipped away to shower

Warm water, racing thoughts, excitement bubbling under my skin like something carbonated

My anticipation to see him was almost, if not suffocating
So by the time I knocked on his bedroom door I was practically glowing

The room was empty when I stepped in

I set the tray down and turned just as the bathroom door swung opened and Calum walked out in nothing but a towel around his waist, and another in his hands as he dried his damp hair

My face immediately brightened with a full beam as I waited for a smile

Maybe a greeting... like usual

He walked straight past me

Straight into the close and the door clicked shut

The smile on my face vanished

I stood there beside the dinner tray staring at the closed closet door

What just happened?

Had something happened at work?

Had I done something?

The questions came fast and kept coming

Then one particular thought slipped in that I immediately wished hadn't

But it wasn't my fault tho, I'd heard some gory, horrible stories
Stories about males who went distant after finally being with their mates, after finally having them in their beds

Males who lost interest

Males who decided the bond wasn't enough

My stomach twisted

No

No that wasn't—

Calum wouldn't do that

Don't pani, girl Karina said sharply

I'm not panicking I told her, even tho we both knew that was the fattest lie in hell

Yes. You. Are"

I ignored her and fixated on the closed door, as if trying to force answers out of it

Then the door opened

Calum stepped back into the room in a black shirt and dark trousers, flipping through some papers

Not once did he look up

Not once did he look at me

The ache in my chest coupled with the sickening silence almost ended me

I cleared my throat, the sound too loud in the quiet room

That was enough to get his attention and his eyes lifted briefly

I straightened up my spine, Okay

If this was how we were playing it, I could be professional too

"Sir" I said, keeping my voice even "I brought your dinner"

His gaze moved to the tray

"Mhm" was all the response I got before his eyes moved back to the papers which from my observation wasn't supposed to be that interesting at 10 pm

"You can go" his dismissive tone resonating in thr large space

I blinked

Surely I heard that wrong

My heart slammed hard against my ribs

This was the same man who had pinned me against his desk this afternoon

The same man who had said he'd been thinking about me all day

The same man who had kissed me like—

"You can go, Diana"

The second time hit harder than the first, my throat tightened, but I nodded slowly

"Of course, sir" the words tasted like ash

I turned and walked to the door, my steps dragging, waiting to hear him call out to me

Waiting to hear him call me 'cutie'

I got nothing

The door shut behind me with a soft click
and I stood in the hallway staring at nothing

For a few seconds I just stood there, this felt like a dream...a nightmare

He was acting like I didn't exist, like...like...

Absolutely not!!!

The voice in my head thundered as sudden anger surged through me

He didn't get to treat me like this....he promised...he didn't have the right to discard me just like that

I was not walking away from that room without an explanation, so I spun around and shoved the door open

The sound echoing through the room

Calum looked up immediately, confusion flashing across his face

Without thinking, I crossed the room in four steps and stood directly in front of him

One second of silence

Then

THWACK!!!

The sound of palm meeting cheeks echoed and bounced off the walls