Separate Weddings, Separate Lives novel Chapter 28

As the day passed, the night fell silent.

Louisa's eyes were still red and puffy from crying. Flora's parting words at the nursing home kept playing in her head.

"Lou, I'm relieved to see you happy. I can face your mother when I see her again."

Louisa didn't want Flora to live with regrets, and Flora wanted to do right by Louisa's mother.

Louisa had never known her father. When she asked about him as a child, Flora had simply said that he was dead.

That was enough for Louisa to realize he wasn't actually deceased but rather that he just didn't exist in their world. She never asked again and treated him as if he were a ghost.

Her only family was Flora, who raised her, and a mother she held no memory of.

"Mrs. Holten." There was a knock at the door.

Louisa quickly wiped her eyes and asked the person at the door to enter. The housekeeper, Carol Whitman, entered carrying a tray with a plate of pasta and two forks.

"Mrs. Holten, this is union pasta."

This was an old family tradition where a couple shared the union pasta on their wedding night to symbolize a lifetime of harmony.

"Thank you," Louisa said while sliding an envelope with a tip onto the tray.

After Carol left, Elijah walked in. His dark, cool gaze swept over Louisa's watery eyes.

"Were you waiting for me to start the meal?"

Louisa couldn't believe how shameless he was. Since they weren't really married, she didn't see why they had to bother with this family tradition.

"I just happened to be hungry," Louisa replied, sitting at the table.

Elijah took off his suit jacket, tossed it onto a chair, and loosened his collar. The faint, sharp scent of alcohol trailed behind him. He had been drinking.

As Louisa reached for a fork, Elijah's hand met hers. Even though he had kissed her at the ceremony earlier that day, the sudden contact sent a jolt through her fingers. She flinched instinctively.

As she was contemplating what to do, Elijah suddenly leaned over with the other end of the pasta between his teeth and drew closer, eating his way toward her.

Louisa's eyes widened. She hadn't expected him to play this game. She watched, paralyzed, as he bridged the gap until his lips were inches from hers. At the last second, she hurriedly finished her bite and leaned back, breathless.

Elijah watched her with a mischievous glint.

"Now do you understand how the tradition works, Mrs. Holten?"

Despite her best efforts to stay composed, Louisa's face turned red. However, she had to admit the food was good, and she realized she hadn't eaten a proper meal in two days. The small bite had awakened a sharp pang of hunger within her.

The fork clinked against the porcelain as Elijah stood up and headed toward the master bathroom.

"I'm going to shower. Take your time eating," he said. He paused at the door, glancing back at her teary eyes. "Finish it up. It's bad luck to leave a union pasta unfinished."

The sound of the shower starting filled the room. Louisa had been ready to finish the meal, but she suddenly felt a wave of panic. She looked at the massive bed in the center of the room.

Elijah was showering here. That meant he was staying the night.