Sweet Vengeances
Chapter 82: Hearts on the Line

Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Hearts on the Line

As the first rays of morning peeked through the transparent curtains, Lily lay awake, gazing at the ceiling. The bedroom was filled with light from the gentle golden glow, but it didn’t make her chest feel any lighter.

She rolled onto her side and looked at Ethan. His breathing was regular, his features relaxed in a manner she hardly noticed when he was awake, and he was still asleep. His countenance had lost its normal intensity and had taken on an almost serene quality.

Nearly.

His forehead was slightly wrinkled even while he slept, as though he was struggling with thoughts that were not voiced.

Silently, Lily exhaled.

Although she could sense the change between them, trust was not something that could be restored quickly. The area that had been occupied by barriers and unsaid grudges was gradually becoming softer.

She had acknowledged her continued affection for him.

She was more rattled by that fact alone than she wanted to acknowledge.

Because it had never been an issue to love Ethan.

Relying on him?

That was the actual conflict.

The weight of it made her heart hurt, but as she lay there and observed his chest’s steady rise and fall, she was confident of one thing.

She wasn’t prepared to leave.

Not quite yet.

Later in the morning

While Ethan went about the kitchen, Lily sat at the counter and drank her coffee. She had objected to his insistence on preparing breakfast, citing the fact that he was still recuperating from his injuries.

He had urged, "For once, sit down and let me take care of you."

Thus, she found herself observing him move with a sense of ease, as though preparing breakfast for someone else was a daily occurrence.

It wasn’t.

Ethan was not the type of man to open himself up to others.

Nevertheless, he was preparing meals for her, making her coffee, and glancing at her as if he were worried that she could vanish.

Something sank into her chest, something frightful, something warm.

While flipping a pancake onto a dish, Ethan muttered, "You’re staring," without raising his gaze.

Lily took a sip of her coffee and grinned. "Perhaps I’m merely attempting to discover whether you have a chef concealed in one of your guest rooms."

Ethan chuckled quietly. You know, I had a life before you. I wasn’t always ducking gunfire while sprinting through warehouses.

"I could have been duped," she teasingly said.

He sat in the seat next to her after turning and setting a dish in front of her. "Give it a try."

Lily grabbed her fork, sliced a pancake, and then shoved it into her lips. She let out a happy murmur as the sweet, buttery taste melted on her tongue.

"All right," she said. "This round is yours."

Ethan grinned. "That’s a first."

Lily rolled her eyes, but she was unable to stop the smile from pulling at her mouth.

It felt normal for a second.

It seemed effortless for a while.

Ethan’s phone rang on the counter, though, as if the cosmos forbade them from having even one quiet morning.

His smile vanished in an instant.

After he took it up and read the message, Lily’s gut tightened.

She questioned, "What is it?"

Ethan tightened his jaw. "Alejandro."

Her heart fell. "What took place?"

Ethan wiped a palm across his face and let out a quick sigh. "Something has moved. Carlisle’s soldiers aren’t going down without a fight, at least the ones that remain.

A shiver went up Lily’s spine.

She had anticipated that it wouldn’t end that quickly. Even when Carlisle was defeated, power vacuums weren’t left vacant for very long.

Ethan’s blue eyes were filled with worry as he gazed at her. "We must exercise caution. The risk does not go away just because he is no longer there.

Lily tightened her hold on her coffee mug and nodded.

She wasn’t gullible.

In a world like this, there were always repercussions.

And she suspected that the worst was still to come.

Later on in the day

As Lily strolled behind Ethan, her fingers loosely entwined with his, she hardly saw the bustling metropolis.

Not quite together, but not ready to let go yet, they had made a quiet pact.

Lily understood the truth, but Ethan had insisted on going for a stroll, saying they both needed air.

He was concerned.

She could see it in the way his shoulders stayed taut, prepared for anything, and in the way his gaze looked about them.

After some while, she remarked, "Are you ever going to let yourself breathe?"

Ethan gave her a quick look. "When I know you’re safe, I’ll breathe."

Lily let out a sigh. "Ethan, you can’t shield me from everything."

He clenched his jaw. Perhaps not. But I’ll give it my best shot.

She felt her chest tighten at the way he stated it.

"You realize how tired you are?" She whispered.

Ethan grinned. You’re still here, though.

Lily rolled her eyes without protesting.

Therefore he was correct.

She remained here.

Despite all, despite all the suffering and heartache—

She was still not prepared to leave.

Not from him.

Not from them.

And it could have been the scariest thing of all.

That evening

Lily watched the distant flicker of city lights from the window of Ethan’s apartment. Despite the day’s burden pressing down on her shoulders, she remained resilient.

Ethan approached her from behind, his presence firm and reassuring.

"Are you okay?" he inquired.

Lily breathed out slowly. "I’m not sure."

After a minute of silence, he leaned out and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "We’ll overcome this."

Her heart thumping in her chest, she turned to look at him. "You seem so certain."

Her eyes met Ethan’s. "Because I am."

Lily took a deep breath. "I need to know something, Ethan."

Without hesitation, he responded, "Anything."

She said, "Is this real?" Alternatively, are we simply clinging to something because we’re scared to let go?

With a short sigh, Ethan placed his hands on her waist. "Lily, I’m not very knowledgeable. However, I am aware that I don’t want to lose you.

Lily’s throat constricted.

Because despite all the anxiety, all the doubt—

She also didn’t want to lose him.

She reached for him slowly and pressed her forehead to his.

The outer world remained unclear and frightening.

However, just now, in his arms—

She felt secure.

She was at home.

Perhaps that was sufficient.

For the time being.