Her shoulders slumped as the weight of his words sunk in. "Protect me from what?"
He shook his head.“I cannot tell you.”
Amara snapped and narrowed her gaze. Ambers burn in his mocha eyes, the air stirred her insides. There was a long pause, and then she muttered.“Then don’t touch me, if you can’t give me your truth, don’t expect my heart in return.”
CHAPTER 60
Amara felt suffocated inside the four walls of the gigantic mansion.
She stood at the center kitchen island, her hands deftly mixing batter for cookies and cake, the scent of vanilla and sugar filling the air. Mind elsewhere, and hands automatically moving.
Beside her Martha bustled about, her apron dusted with flour as she prepared ingredients for the dinner. Despite the warmth of the sun and the gentle breeze that swept through the open windows, there was a palpable chill in the air—an icy void that had settled in Amara's heart.
She tried to push aside the memories that threatened to consume her, but it was difficult.
A whole damn week. It had been a week since she had discovered Kaelith had a fiancé since shehad felt the ground crumble beneath her feet. She tried to block out the image of him standing before her, his words cutting through her like a knife as he confessed to having a woman he was going to marry one day.
With a pang of hurt, she recalled the events of that day faintly—the bitter taste of betrayal, the sting of rejection. Her mind was a foggy maze, memories shrouded in a haze of confusion and pain. She couldn't recall how she ended up in the plush comfort of the bed, nor did she have any desire to unearth the truth. The events of that day, when Kaelithshattered her world, lingered like a bitter aftertaste, poisoning both her thoughts and emotions.
But she recalled changing room the very next morning. With Martha's help, she hastily moved to her previous room, there was no way she’d sleep with him on his bed after everything happened, only a cocoon of solitude could nurse her wounds in peace now.
When Kaelith returned home later that day, she had locked the door, barricading herself against the pain that threatened to engulf her. Three sharp knocks had echoed through the silence, followed by the sound of retreating footsteps—a stark reminder of the chasm that now separated them.
She didn’t want to see him.
Since that night, Amara avoided Kaelith like a plague, her days a blur of sleepless nights and restless mornings. She woke late to avoid the awkwardness of breakfast with him, and retreated to her room early, seeking solace in the darkness of sleep, hoping she wouldn’t cross paths with him.
And strangely, Kaelith hadn’t made any move to talk to her either. That hurt her more than anything. Was this just a game for him? The game where he got the pleasure and she suffered with pain. Where he pretended he loved her and her heart was damaged.
It was a game she played with herself, a desperate attempt to shield her heart from further harm. But with each passing day, the walls she had built around herself grew higher, the distance between her and Kaelith widening into an impassable divide. Yet, her heart yearned for him. No matter how many times, she just couldn’t not think of him. He ruled her every thought, even when she was asleep, her nightmares were haunted by him.
Martha watched Amara with a mixture of concern and skepticism, her gaze lingering on a troubled expression. Butshe refrained from asking questions, sensing maybe she was not yet ready to confront the pain that lay beneath the surface.
Martha sighed.
“I’ll go to garden, if you need help, call me.” Amra wiped her hand on the kitchen towel offering a tight-lipped smile. Martha nodded.
“Have some cookies before that.”
“I’ll pass.” Amara refused. Martha hummed. Amara had been eating well, but still, she was losing weight, her waist looked a lot slimmer and the fat she put on her face was receding. Martha was worried. She had to talk to Kaelith about this. It would only make Amara’s health worse.
The day went on and as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the gardens, Amara found herself drawn to the peaceful backyard. With a heavy heart and a mind clouded with thoughts, she sought solace in the rhythmic humming of bees and butterflies as she tended to the flowers.
Her hands moved as she knelt among the petals, the scent of earth and blossoms mingling in the cool evening air.
But despite the tranquility of her surroundings, a storm raged within her heart.
With a heavy sigh, she rose to her feet and made her way to the oak tree that stood sentinel at the edge of the garden. Suddenly an urge to draw pulled her, and she contemplated for a moment before she rushed to her room and grabbed her things- paintbrushes and canvas.
Beneath the branches, she placed her things and picked a stool from the patio, then looked at the white canvas.
Just as she put scooped the blue colour on her paintbrush, the colours flowed from her fingertips like a river of emotions. The soft breeze whispered through the leaves overhead, as she hummed a distant tune she didn’t remember ever listening.
She attempted to draw something that would ease her up, to immortalize the ache of longing that gnawed at her heart. But try as she might, she found herself unconsciously drawn to shades of grey and blue, the colours of his eyes haunting her every move.
She painted until the moon hung high in the sky, until her hands trembled with exhaustion and her heart ached with the weight of her sorrow. As she stood beneath the shadow of the oak tree, she realized that no amount of paint could ever heal the wounds that Kaelith had inflicted upon her. but more than him, she blamed herself.
Her heart was heavy as she put the brush down and looked at the canvas filled with colours- blue and grey eyes staring up at her, so vivid and wild she couldn’t tell if it was just her imagination or if he was really here.
