Building Her Throne Burying My Heart (Claire) novel Chapter 21

The door was just up ahead.

In the soft, flickering light, I thought I saw someone standing there. She wore a white dress and smiled as she waved at me. It was that same smile I remembered, the same person I’d once known so well. I hadn’t seen her smile like that in what felt like forever.

My stomach twisted in pain. I pressed a hand to it and reached out, but just like that, the figure disappeared. Another wave of nausea hit me, snapping me out of it. It was just a trick of my mind. The girl from my memories was right in front of me now, yet I couldn’t reach her anymore.

Sweat beaded on my forehead as I fought the pain. Gritting my teeth, I stumbled toward the door.

I barely made it to the trash can at the curb before I doubled over, emptying my stomach. The sharp, sour taste burned my throat and made my eyes water until everything was a blur. The pain felt like it was tearing me apart, but I forced myself to keep going, collapsing against the edge of a flower bed. I knew I was drunk, completely lost, my whole body aching like I might just fall apart.

My legs gave out and I slid down to sit against the planter.

I don’t know how long I sat there. At some point, someone nudged me awake. “Why are you sleeping out here?”

Jolted back to reality, I fumbled for my pocket. My card was still there. Relief washed over me and I finally gathered myself, ready to head back.

That’s when I realized Claire was standing behind me. I had no idea when she’d gotten there. Her eyes were cold, her expression unreadable.

“You haven’t changed one bit,” she said, her voice sharp as glass. “Still willing to risk everything for money.”

I knew exactly what she meant. Drinking myself half to death for a paycheck. But I needed this money. It was the only thing keeping me alive. How could I not give it everything I had?

I managed a crooked smile. “Of course. Who doesn’t love money?”

“It was just a relationship,” I said, trying to brush it off. “You’re acting like it was something bigger.”

That did it. Her eyes flashed. She slapped me, hard. The sound echoed, and my cheek burned.

“You think this is about your sad excuse for a romance?” she spat, her voice trembling. Her eyes were red, tears threatening to fall, her body shaking like she could barely hold herself together. “You give yourself way too much credit.”

My face was on fire. But I had to know. “If it’s not about that, then what is it?”

She stared at me, her eyes glossy with unshed tears, but she wouldn’t say a word. I couldn’t shake the feeling there was something I still didn’t understand. Her anger, her bitterness, it was just too much. If it was just heartbreak, I could understand. I knew what it felt like to be abandoned by someone you loved, especially when you needed them most. That kind of pain was enough to destroy anyone. But this... this felt like something else. Something I still couldn’t see.