Bound to my Enemy novel Chapter 97

Chapter 97: Chapter 97.

When I finally come back home, it’s late. I stayed longer at my brother’s house than I planned we had lots and lots to discuss, I lowkey missed them and didn’t want leave them. I kept telling myself I would leave after the next conversation, after the next question, after the next moment of silence that felt too loaded to interrupt. Somehow, hours slipped through my fingers without me noticing

By the time I step out of the car, my body feels worn down to the bone. My head aches in that dull way that comes from crying back tears for too long. The house stands in front of me, tall and clean and cold, all glass and sharp lines, looking exactly the way it always does. Nothing about it hints at the mess sitting in my chest.

I unlock the door and step inside, locking it behind me out of habit.

I kick off my shoes and leave them where they land. My feet are sore, my legs feel weak, and all I want is to just lay down in bed somewhere dark and quiet and sleep.

I walk upstairs slowly, my hand brushing the wall as I go. Every step feels heavier than the last. My body remembers everything from today.

When I reach the bedroom door, I pause and I open the door.

The room is empty.

The bed is untouched on his side, no dip in the mattress, no jacket tossed over the chair, no quiet sign that he was here and just stepped out. The bathroom light is off. The room smells clean, faintly familiar, but there is no warmth lingering in the air.

I stand there longer than I mean to.

It’s not important, I tell myself almost immediately. He does not need to be here every night, I do not need him beside me to sleep. This is not that kind of marriage, it was never meant to be. Whatever has been happening between us lately does not change the facts.

I do not need him. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

I repeat it in my head as if saying it enough times will make it stick. I don’t need his presence, I don’t need to be in his arms. I don’t need the weight of him behind me in bed or the quiet comfort of knowing someone else is breathing in the same space.

And still, something in my chest tightens.

Just a little.

The thought of sleeping alone tonight makes my throat feel thick and I hate that it does. I hate that my body reacts before my brain can shut it down. I hate that I have let myself get used to anything at all.

I push the feeling away and move. Standing still gives thoughts too much room to grow.

I head straight for the bathroom and turn on the shower. The sound of the water fills the space instantly, loud and steady, drowning out everything else. Steam starts to rise before I even step in. I undress without looking at myself, dropping my clothes in a careless pile on the floor.

The heat hits my skin and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. My shoulders sag as the water runs down my back. I close my eyes and tilt my head forward, letting the water soak my hair and slide down my face.

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