Chapter 26 Chapter Twenty-Six
Charity had been in a good mood since morning, humming that smug little tune she used when everything seemed to be going her way. By noon she was out with her siblings, hopping from one high end store to another.
At one counter, a huge diamond ring caught her eyes, shining under the lights like it had been waiting for her.
“Oh wow” she said, leaning closer. “This…this is definitely it. Nothing smaller makes sense.”
Charity: Baby, you don’t need to stress looking for anything. I’ve found the style I want. Just plan a proper proposal, okay? Something huge. Something people will talk about for weeks. I want a moment I can post — like, everyone-has-to-be-jealous level.
She reread it, smiled, and sent it.
To her, it wasn’t demanding. It was simply her standards.
Leon was parked outside his stepmom’s boutique, palm pressed to his temple like this week has been dragging him. His phone vibrated with a message from Charity, and one glance at the preview, pulled a groan straight out of him.
“Perfect,” he muttered. “Another headache.”
Before he could even respond, another message popped up — this time from Mrs. Wyatt.
Mrs. Wyatt: Leon, darling, please stop by if you can. The event planner needs your final approval for the surprise engagement setup. It’ll only take a moment.
A “surprise engagement.” If everyone could see the truth, they’d realize nothing about this was surprising. Except how he felt trapped in the middle of it. He dropped his phone on the seat, leaned back, breathing out slowly. For a moment, he considered disappearing for a bit sounded tempting.
Felicity.
He stared at her contact name for a long second, then typed.
Leon: Can you talk? Please. It’s urgent. I’m not okay.
He deleted “I need you,” then put it back. Then deleted it again. In the end he sent nothing but the short, desperate-sounding line — because he knew Felicity.
She would understand even the things he couldn’t bring himself to say. Meanwhile Felicity was curled up on her bed, forcing herself to believe she wouldn’t fall for Leon’s words again. Her chest still hurt from crying last night and every quiet moment dragged her back to the thought of him.
And now?
She was trying to bury the ache when her phone buzzed. The moment she saw his name, her stomach clenched. She almost ignored it — almost. But curiosity and all the unresolved feelings inside her cracked her resolve open.
When she read his message, her breath caught.
Urgent.
Not okay.
She closed her eyes, already angry with herself for caring.
Don’t be stupid, Felicity. You know how this ends, she thought.
But she texted him anyway.
Felicity: Are you safe? What happened?
He responded within seconds.
Leon: Can I come? I just… I need someone who won’t judge me right now.
Her chest twisted. She should have said no. She should have reminded him he’d chosen someone else. She should have protected herself.
Instead, she typed the word that felt like defeat:
Felicity: Okay.
Leon walked in, looking worn down—dark rings under his eyes, shoulders tight, like some invisible weight pressed on him. Felicity’s heart softened against her will at the sight.
He talked, mostly—about stress, pressures, responsibilities—everything except what she craved to hear: I choose you.
She edged to the far side of the bed, trying to maintain distance. But his hand found hers, his voice low, almost pleading, whispering her name like he was searching for something to cling to.
And Felicity, feeling fragile and longing for the man she remembered, let herself melt into him once again.
One touch became a kiss.
One kiss led to a choice she wished she could unto when her lips touched his.
Later, lying intertwined on the bed, her head resting against his chest, the room quiet and heavy around them, the weight of her decision pressed down like a blanket.
Leon, meanwhile, looked almost unease as if being close to her had lifted some load off his shoulder.
But for Felicity, a different weight pressed down.
You did it again, she scolded herself. You let him in without asking what he wants. You let him touch you even though you know he’s promised to someone else.
She didn’t move, didn’t speak. She just lay there, staring at his shoulder, feeling a sting crawl behind her eyes.
Then her phone vibrated beside her.
She reached for it quietly so she wouldn’t wake him. When she saw the name on the screen, her heart flipped.
Imran.
He hadn’t messaged her in weeks.
She opened it.
Imran: Hey, I’ll be in town again soon. I hope you’ve been okay. I’d really like to see you if you’re up for it.
Felicity froze.
Imran.
The one person who had made her feel genuinely wanted without confusion.
The one who hadn’t lied.
The one who actually chose her.
She let out a slow exhale, staring at the message as if it might explain everything. For the first time in days, she felt lighter, something tender, something like hope, nudged through her grief.
Leon shifted besides her, not noticing the tiny quake in her world. She locked her phone, set it face down, and felt her heart beat differently now. Maybe things weren’t as hopeless as she thought.
Maybe she wasn’t as alone.
And maybe, just maybe, Leon wasn’t the only one who would have to explain himself soon.