My Sister’s Forbidden Love For My Fiancé Chapter 03

My Sister’s Forbidden Love For My Fiancé Chapter 03

The suitcase lay open on the bed. I folded the last jacket and placed it inside.

Footsteps came from behind.

Edmund stood in the bedroom doorway. I could see his watch-clad wrist.

His gaze moved from the suitcase to my face, brow furrowing.

“What are you doing, Rowena?”

I didn’t look up. I shoved my toiletry bag into the side pocket.

“I told you. We’re done.”

He strode over, slammed the suitcase lid shut with a sharp clap.

My hand was trapped under his on the edge of the case.

He loomed over me, impatience creeping into his voice.

“Your foot’s still numb. What are you doing, running off in the middle of the night?”

“We can hash all this out tomorrow.”

I yanked the lid back open, knocking his hand away.

“Edmund. I said we’re done.”

He blinked, then laughed.

He reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear, his fingertip grazing my earlobe, gentle, familiar.

“You’re not leaving me.”

“Rowena, you love me. We’ve known each other since we were kids. You really think you can walk away?”

I stared into his pupils, my stomach churning.

A scene from yesterday flashed through my head. Sadie on the couch, painting her nails, swinging her feet, grinning at me.

“Hey, Rowena, you know why Edmund got with you in the first place?” she’d said, offhand.

“Because you’ve got nice eyes.”

She’d shrugged, going back to her polish.

“He said your eyes are prettiest when you cry.”

“Wait, no! He actually made you cry? What a jerk!”

Everyone knew it. Sadie and I had the same eyes.

A sharp, sour wave surged up from my gut.

I shoved Edmund aside and bolted for the bathroom, heaving over the toilet.

Edmund followed, crouching beside me, one hand patting my back, the other reaching for a tissue.

His hand froze mid-air.

A medical test kit lay in the trash can.

He looked up at me.

“Rowena…”

I leaned against the toilet rim, the sour taste still on my lips, and asked the question that mattered most.

“Edmund. Did you ever love me?”

He went still.

Every expression drained from his face.

Before this moment, I’d never doubted Edmund’s love. Not once.

Not long after we got together, he took me to the riverfront for fireworks.

When the first one burst open, he turned to look at me, the light reflected in his eyes, dazzling. He said, “Rowena, your eyes are so beautiful.”

When I was sick, he stayed by my bed all night. When he came back from business trips, there was always a gift for me in his suitcase. When I got mistreated at work, he’d drop everything to pick me up, calling me a coward while marching into my boss’s office to settle the score.

A long moment passed. Then he pulled me into his arms, crushing me so tightly I could barely breathe.

His chin rested on my head, his chest heaving, his voice rumbling from deep in his chest.

“Rowena.”

“It’s my fault. I’ve been too busy lately. I haven’t been paying attention to you.”

“After the wedding, we’ll go to the Arctic. We can see the northern lights. Okay?”

He looked at me, tender, sincere, making it impossible for me to say no.

I opened my mouth. Then nodded. Tomorrow was the wedding. I’d pack for the Arctic trip early.