Bound to my Enemy novel Chapter 209

Chapter 209: Chapter 209.

I watch her move around the kitchen, quick and familiar, like she’s done this a thousand times. And for the first time since I stepped back into this house..... i feel something settle. Not everything...especially not the mess in my head about Zane.

But this? This moment?

It feels... good.

"I missed you," I say quietly.

She pauses for a second, then glances back at me with a small, soft smile.

"I missed you more," she replies.

And somehow.... I believe her.

I don’t stay in the kitchen longer than I need to nor because I don’t want to but because if I sit there too long, I’ll start thinking again about Zane and I’m not ready for that spiral.

So after eating.....after Margaret practically watches me finish every last bite like I’m a child she’s nursing back to health....i head upstairs, change into something a little lighter, something that doesn’t cling to me like everything I’ve been through.

Then I leave to go see my girls.....i need something normal. Something that reminds me I’m still... m and there’s only one place I can think of.

The house is the same, with Same warm lighting fr a second, I just stand there, takin king it in.

Then....

"Elaine?!"

My head snaps up to see Tessa.

She’s already halfway out of her seat, eyes wide, hand over her mouth like she’s seeing a ghost and then she’s running.

"Oh my God...."

She crashes into me, arms wrapping around me so tight I stumble a little.

"Where the hell have you been?!" she half-yells, half-crying into my shoulder.

I let out a small breath, hugging her back.

"I’m okay," I say softly.

"You don’t look okay!" she pulls back immediately, hands gripping my arms as she looks me over. "You look...what the hell happened to you?"

Before I can answer....

"El?"

June’s voice this time, it’s quieter but just as shocked.

I turn.

She’s standing now too, eyes scanning me carefully, like she’s piecing things together in her head with Lila right beside her, already frowning.

"What happened?" Lila asks bluntly.

No filter, same as always.

God, I missed that.

"I...." I start, but I don’t even know where to begin.

Tessa grabs my hand and pulls me toward the table.

"Sit first," she says quickly. "You look like you might pass out."

"I’m not going to pass out," I mutter, but I let her pull me anyway.

I sit and they all sit around me.

And suddenly...:.I’m under inspection.

Three pairs of concerned eyes.

"You disappeared," June says gently. "No calls, no messages, no visits. Nothing."

"We thought something happened," Tessa adds quickly. "I went to your room like three times but you weren’t there, I asked around but no one will tell me anything ....." she stops, her face tightening. "Actually... something did happen, didn’t it?"

Silence.

I look down at my hands, at the faint marks still there thn back up at them.

"I got kidnapped," I say.

Just like tht, beecause there’s no easy way to say it.

Their reaction is almost instantly.

"What?" Tessa breathes.

June’s face goes pale as Lila leans back slightly like she needs space to process that.

"Kidnapped?" Lila repeats. "As in....actual kidnapped?"

I nod.

"Yeah."

The table goes quiet.

"What the hell, Elaine..." Tessa whispers, eyes already filling again. "Are you serious right now?"

I give a small, tired nod.

"Yeah."

June reaches across the table slowly, placing her hand over mine.

"Are you okay?" she asks softly.

That question..it always comes back to that.

I paus and Think about it, thn I shrug lightly.

"I’m here," I say.

It’s not really an answe but it’s all I’ve got.

Lila exhales sharply, running a hand through her hair.

"Who did it?" she asks.

I shake my head slightly.

"It’s... complicated."

"That’s not an answer," she presses.

"I know," I reply. "But it’s the only one I have right now."

Tessa looks like she wants to ask a thousand more questions, but she stops herself. Instead, she just reaches for my hand again.

"You scared the hell out of us," she says quietly.

"I know."

"And you didn’t think to call?"

"I couldn’t."

That shuts her up be ecause something in my voice makes it clear...i mean that.

Silence settles again, then Lila leans forward slightly, eyes narrowing just a bit.

"You look different," she says.

I blink.

"What?"

She shrugs.

"Not in a bad way," she adds quickly. "Just... different."

June nods slowly.

"I see it too."

Tessa frowns slightly.

"Different how?"

Lila studies me for a second.

"Like you’ve been through something," she says simply.

I let out a small brea

"Yeah," I murmur. "I think I have."

Another quiet moment then Tessa suddenly straightens.

"Okay," she says, clapping her hands lightly. "We’re not doing this."

I blink at her.

"Good luck with that." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"You said hi and I responded."

I blink at him.

"Zane....."

"I’m just busy," he cuts in, glancing briefly at his phone again before setting it down this time. "Preoccupied. That’s all."

His tone is cCareful but I can hear it.....that edge underneath.

I lean forward slightly, studying him.

"Busy with what?" I ask.

He shrugs one shoulder like it’s nothing.

"Work."

"That never stopped you before."

The words slip out before I can stop them.

He stills for a second Then his eyes lift to mine again And this time....There’s something sharper in them.

"You wanted space," he says quietly. "I’m giving it to you."

That hits Harder than I expect.

I sit back slowly.

"That’s not what this is," I mutter.

"Isn’t it?"

His voice is still calm but now there’s something colder threaded through it.

"You left," he continues, eyes steady on mine. "You came back and walked in like nothing happened."

My chest tightens.

"That’s not fair....,"

"Isn’t it?" he repeats, cutting me off again.

I clench my jaw slightly. God, this is going exactly how I didn’t want it to.

"I didn’t walk in like nothing happened," I say, my voice tightening. "You ignored me the second I stepped in."

He lets out a short, humorless breath.

"I didn’t ignore you."

"You walked right past me."

"I didn’t trust myself to stop."

That.....That makes me pause.

"What?" I ask, quieter now.

But he just shakes his head slightly, like he’s already said too much.

"It doesn’t matter," he mutters.

"No, it does matter," I push, leaning forward again. "You don’t get to act like this and then say it doesn’t matter."

He looks at me then And for a second.....

That wall he’s holding up? It cracks a little.

"You came back," he says, voice lower now. "But not for me."

I blink.

"What does that even mean?"

My chest feels tight again.

"I came back," I repeat slowly. "Isn’t that enough?"

"For who?" he asks.

The question hangs there Because I don’t have an answer.

Not a ghood one, not one that won’t open up everything we’re both clearly trying to keep contained.