The Last Time I Cried Your Name novel Chapter 595

Before Wendy was even fully out of sight, Franco tightened his grip on Petty's wrist. He looked down at the foot poised beneath the hem of her dress, then took a long stride forward, his knee pressing lightly against her leg to block her impending attack.

He lifted his gaze, locking onto her face. "Stand still."

His tone wasn't exactly gentle, but it carried an undeniable undercurrent of helpless indulgence, as if he still viewed Petty as a mischievous child acting out.

The realization made Petty scowl.

The sheer white curtains draped over the windows filtered the sunlight, casting a dreamlike, cinematic glow over her profoundly striking features. She looked almost too beautiful to be real.

In a fleeting haze, Franco was hit with fragments of the dreams he'd had of her over the past few months.

He rarely dreamt. But ever since Petty walked into the White family's world, nearly every dream he had revolved around her.

For the first two months after she left Cabinda, she hadn't haunted his sleep at all. It wasn't until autumn was closing in that she finally appeared.

In the dream, they were on an island. Petty had tackled him into a bed of wildflowers, kissing him with a fierce, ravenous heat.

She had been wearing a dress the exact same shade of teal, the skirt riding high on her thighs, her legs long and luminous.

The memory made Franco's grip on her wrist tighten. His throat worked as he swallowed, his voice dropping into a low, raspy murmur. "If you're going to pretend I don't exist, why not commit to the bit?"

Petty's red lips parted from their tight line, giving him a look of total exasperation. "I wasn't pretending not to see you. But if that's the narrative you want to run with, there's nothing I can do about it."

"Where did you learn to talk like that?" Franco's brow furrowed.

This overbearing, patronizing attitude grated on Petty's last nerve. She fought hard against his hold, snapping, "Weren't you the one who said you wouldn't show up in front of me unless absolutely necessary? So much for keeping your word."

Franco's eyes darkened.

She had conveniently forgotten everything else he’d ever said, yet she clung to that one sentence like a lifeline.

Perfect. Absolutely perfect.