He chuckled, a hint of embarrassment in his tone. “I remember I gave you 999 roses back then, and you refused them all. I convinced myself that this paper rose was your way of giving something back to me. Silly, wasn’t it?”
His eyes softened, a nostalgic light flickering in them, and for a brief moment, his handsome face radiated love—the kind that used to make my heart race.
I wanted to feel moved, to believe in the sincerity of the moment. But my gaze fell to his collarbone, where faint marks marred his skin.
I pointed, my voice calm but cutting. “Killian, why is your collarbone red?”
His reaction was instant—panic flashed across his face before he quickly buttoned his shirt all the way up, his hands fumbling. “Oh, that? Probably a mosquito bite. My neck’s been itchy all day, so I must have scratched it raw without realizing.”
I said nothing, just watched him in silence as he awkwardly fumbled through his excuse.
The smell of alcohol clung to him, and he announced that he was going to shower. But before he could leave, I stopped him.
“Killian,” I said, my voice steady, “do you remember the vows we made at our wedding?”