Chapter 89
LANA
78%
Isabella gasps as she catches me putting my top back on.
“Do I really want to know what went down while I was gone?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.
A blush creeps onto my cheeks, giving her the answer without me having to say a word. I still couldn’t believe what just took place. Apollo keeps telling me that it’s his last time touching or kissing me and somehow or the other, he does the exact opposite.
can’t support him going ring shopping with them,” I say, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction before it turns awkward.
She lets out a sigh. “I think he only agreed to it because he wanted a way to get his mother out of here before she walked in on you topless around him.”
The thought sends a chill down my spine. I can’t shake the thought of her realizing I was wrapped in nothing but a towel while Apollo was in the pool area with me.
Jada has already complained about what I wore in front of him before, and his mother had consistently urged me to keep my distance from him. I cringe at the idea of how she would react to seeing me without a top in front of her son. She would have surely freaked out. I knew Apollo did the right thing by distracting her but part of me wanted her to find out.
I’m not sure what came over me earlier. I felt this overwhelming urge to tease my mate, to make him crave me. Clearly, I was losing the grip on myself.
I wasn’t even on heat; why was I acting like a crazy she–wolf out hunting for her mate and using any seductive means possible?
“Do you really believe he agreed to step out with them just to distract his mother?” I ask my sister, still feeling wary. Maybe he did in fact want to go with them and my sister was wrong.
“Absolutely,” she assures me. “He turned them down earlier, according to mom. Why would he suddenly change his mind after you two were found in a compromising situation?”
She makes a valid point. Nevertheless, the thought of him picking out rings with another woman curls my stomach uncomfortably.
“I wish things were different,” I admit. “But honestly, even if Apollo wasn’t my step–brother, his mother would never approve of our relationship. Everyone knows by now how she feels about me.”
Isabella rolls her eyes. “She’s out of her mind for not liking you. You’re the perfect woman for her son. If she truly cared about him, she’d let him be with the one he actually wants.”
But did Apollo even want me in the first place? If he did, why wasn’t he fighting for us? He kept coming close, only to pull away. I was exhausted from the constant back–and–forth between us.
“It’s not just her, though,” I whisper. “What about mom and our stepfather? If they found out about Apollo and me, they’d freak out too. It would be weird and awkward for everyone involved.”
She sighs, “You’re overthinking it. Anyone who truly cares about both you and Apollo will support your relationship. Look at me—yes, it was strange at first since i see Apollo as my brother, but now that I know being with him makes you happy, I fully back your relationship. Besides, it’s not like you grew up with him”
I was grateful that isabella felt this way, but I couldn’t shake the fact that others might not share her perspective. Everyone had their own views, and things were even more complicated now that Apollo was on the verge of getting engaged to another woman.
I can’t be the only one fighting for this,” I tell iny sister. “If Apollo doesn’t make an effort on his end, nothing will come of our feelings.”
She nods in agreement. “n’s not easy for him,” she admits “Mom treats us ditterently than his mom does. She clearly has a hold over him and uses it whenever she can.
11:33 Wed, 16 Jul i G
Chapter 89
78%
My sister’s insight was spot on. I had offered to help Apollo with whatever he was dealing with, but he kept pushing me away. How could I help if he wouldn’t let me in? It made me wonder if he was content with the way things were and didn’t want anything to change.
“Don’t give up,” my sister says, noticing the defeated look on my face. “I see the way he looks at you. Deep down, I know he wants to be with you, even if he won’t admit it. Sooner or later, Apollo will have to confront his feelings. He can’t keep running from them. His mother will also need to learn to let go and allow him to make his own choices. But she will only know how to do this when Apollo puts his foot down.”
I appreciated my sister’s positivity, but for me, it was more complicated. Each time I saw Apollo with Jada, it felt like a fresh wound. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could handle watching them together, especially with Apollo’s mother and his fiancée throwing insults my way at every opportunity.
It was five in the afternoon when Apollo’s car pulled into the driveway. We were all gathered in the living room because mom insisted we needed to be present when he got home. She claimed it was essential to show our support for this wedding, despite our ongoing tension with his mother.
Her exact words were, “Apollo is your stepbrother, and he’s been part of this family for years. It’s important that you be there for him. Don’t let his mother come between you.”
As much as I wanted to support Apollo, I couldn’t. How could I cheer on the marriage of a man I was clearly falling in love with? I didn’t want to admit the depth of my feelings, but denying them was becoming increasingly difficult. The more time I spent with my mate, the stronger my desire grew, and the more my heart ached for something I might never have.
“They’re here,” Mom announces. “I can’t wait to see the rings they picked out together.”
The sting of her words was nearly impossible to mask, and I was thankful she wasn’t paying attention to me. There were so many times my expressions gave my feelings away, if she paid more attention to me she would have figured it out by now.
Isabella squeezés my hand, offering her silent support once more.
I held my breath as Apollo’s mother and Jada walked into the room, both wearing radiant smiles. It was clear they had a wonderful time together.
While they were celebrating, I felt utterly miserable at home, replaying everything that had happened between Apollo and me. The thought of him marrying Jada was like a dagger to my heart. I wanted to express to Apollo just how deeply it would affect me, but I was torn. I didn’t want to force him into a decision; I wanted him to come to that conclusion on his own.
Just as I knew I could never truly be with another man, I longed for Apollo to realize that for himself, too. I didn’t want to be the one swaying him toward a choice he might not genuinely want to make.
was caught in an inner battle, wrestling with these conflicting feelings..
“Well?” my mother inquires, looking at Apollo as he walks in behind them. “Show us the rings! We’re all waiting!”
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11:33 Wed, 16 Jul GE
Chapter 90
