The Year She Stopped Being Crazy for Him novel Chapter 69

The deeper they went, the darker it became.

Natalie almost wanted to just squeeze her eyes shut and blindly follow behind Mia, but terrified of bumping into something, she kept her eyes open, her hands balled tightly into fists.

Suddenly, a severed, bloody hand dropped down right in front of her face.

"Ah!" Natalie shrieked, dodging to the left. But as she moved, a large, warm hand clamped firmly around her arm. The heat radiated into her skin, and that faint, familiar scent of pine immediately filled her senses.

Natalie froze. She knew instantly who had grabbed her. She tried to yank her arm away, but the grip only tightened.

A split second later, a prop head dropped from the ceiling right above them, its eyes bulging grotesquely.

Wet, slimy hair dangled from its scalp, illuminated by an eerie green light that made it look horrifyingly real.

Natalie knew it was all fake, and the actors wouldn't actually do anything to her, but the sudden jump scare still caused her entire body to flinch.

The man abruptly pressed his hand against the back of her head, pulling her firmly into his chest.

From nearby, a voice called out in the dark. It was Gardenia. "Hassan? It's so dark. Where are you?"

Natalie immediately tried to push away from his embrace, but Hassan's hand slid down to her waist, gripping her exactly where she was most sensitive. When she shifted, his fingers dug in with even more pressure.

The atmosphere suddenly turned suffocatingly intimate. Countless memories flooded her mind. In bed, he had always loved to grab her waist like that.

Every time he squeezed the soft curve of her waist, she knew it was his signal to change positions.

Natalie's chest tightened with frustration.

As they continued walking, Hassan didn't let go. Natalie hated to admit it, but her body betrayed a natural reliance on him. Just moments ago she had been terrified, but with him holding her from behind, she felt an undeniable sense of safety.

Mia, on the other hand, was utterly fearless. Whenever an actor jumped out to scare her, she would literally chase them down the hall.

Just as Natalie was beginning to acclimate to the warmth of Hassan's embrace, a soft, trembling voice echoed through the dark.

"Hassan, I'm so scared," Gardenia whispered.

Natalie explicitly felt the arm wrapped around her shift. Without a second of hesitation, Hassan completely let go of her.

The warmth that had been enveloping her vanished, instantly replaced by the biting, cold air of the haunted house. She shivered, standing frozen in place, utterly overwhelmed by the sudden, plunging loss of security. She didn't know what to do with her hands.

Once they finally made it outside, Mia was still buzzing with adrenaline. Seeing Natalie's pale, blank expression, she looked a bit worried and gently grabbed her fingers. "Were you really scared? I'll buy you ice cream!"

Natalie shook her head slightly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hassan and the others exiting as well.

Gardenia was huddled delicately against his chest, her face flushed.

And there, right on the collar of his crisp white shirt, was a fresh smudge of red lipstick.

So Hassan's smile hadn't been a hallucination. He really had smiled. He was laughing at her.

Feeling a flash of embarrassment, she quickly pulled out a tissue and wiped her mouth.

Having spent enough time at the park, Natalie was getting ready to take Mia home. Before they left, Mia pulled out her little Polaroid camera. "Natalie, I want to take a picture with you."

Natalie smiled. "Sure."

Hassan and his group happened to be walking past them right at that moment.

Mia spotted Adrian and waved the camera. "Adrian, let me take a picture of you guys!"

Gardenia was holding Adrian's hand on one side, and Hassan was on the other. They looked exactly like a family of three.

Mia looked at the photo as it developed, a small frown forming on her face. "When you stand like this, Mr. Carlson looks just like your dad."

She handed the photo over. Gardenia looked at it, and her heart gave a painful tug. It really did look like a family of three. If the events of a few years ago hadn't happened, she and Hassan would likely be married by now. A deep wave of regret washed over her.

The man merely cast a passing glance at the photo without paying it much attention. Instead, his gaze slid over to Natalie, his eyes lingering faintly on the corner of her mouth.

Natalie knew exactly what he was thinking, and she immediately shot him a venomous glare.

In response, the faint ghost of a smirk graced his lips once again.