Page 76 of Wed to the Devil

Somehow, despite my thrumming heart, I can't seem to keep my eyes open. The tiredness coupled with the emotional outburst absolutely does me in. I fall asleep in Dare's arms with his face buried in my hair.

My eyes flutter open, and for a brief moment I'm confused. This bed is too comfortable to be the cot at Hope House. Then I remember - I'm in Dare's bedroom. In Dare's arms.

But now he's gone. His side of the bed is cold and empty. Even the blanket has been thrown off on the floor. He must have left while I was sleeping.

I sit up slowly, feeling my heart sink in disappointment. Was he mad at me? Did he leave because he didn't want to be around me anymore? Or maybe he realized that we had shared an intimate moment and it scared him away.

Gathering up the blanket off the floor, I wrap it around myself and head out of his room in search of Dare or Aunt Minnie. When I step into the living room, I find both of them sitting together on the couch with steaming cups in their hands and a plate of cookies between them.

Aunt Minnie glances over her shoulder when she hears me come in, her face lighting up with a smile when she sees it's me. "Ah, Talia! Come join us. Dare was just telling me about his work."

My stomach does a little flip when I see Dare sitting next to Aunt Minnie on the couch. He looks up at me and gives me a small nod of acknowledgement, but his body language is tense and he doesn't quite meet my gaze.

Seeing him like this, it's hard not to feel a twinge of hurt. Did he regret what happened between us? Did it mean nothing to him?

Clearing his throat, Dare turns back to Aunt Minnie to continue his story about his latest business venture. As he explains the details of the deal and how much money it could possibly make, I can tell that Aunt Minnie is genuinely interested in what he has to say.

But even as Dare talks excitedly about the project, something feels off between us. There's an invisible barrier between us now that wasn't there before - a reminder of our differences in status and wealth that can't be ignored.

I try to listen attentively as Dare talks about the project, but my heart isn't in it. I know that this deal won't change who we both are deep down -I'm still just a girl from Hope House while he's still one of the wealthiest people in town- but it serves as a stark reminder that our worlds are miles apart, and it makes me sad.

After a few more minutes of talking, Dare stands up and declares that he needs to get back to work before the day ends. He says goodbye politely enough, but there's an icy distance in his voice that wasn't there before.

He leaves without any further words or gestures towards me, making my heart sink further into my chest. Obviously whatever happened between us this afternoon was just an emotion-filled moment with no real substance behind it. We're from different worlds and nothing we do will ever change that fact.

Pushing aside the feelings of rejection, I head to the guest bedroom. Aunt Minnie looks up and pats the spot beside her. I walk over to the bed and slump down onto the coverlet, feeling as mopey as a teen girl. Aunt Minnie's gentle voice draws me out of my thoughts and I look up to see her. She scoots over beside me and places her hand on mine in comfort.

"What's wrong Talia?", she says softly.

“Everything!” I say, feeling melodramatic. “My whole life is a wreck right now.”

“Is this about Dare?” My heart stops as I hear her words and my eyes widen in shock. I try to look away, but I know it's futile. There is no escape now, so I exhale a deep breath and slowly let out the truth that has been burning inside me.

"I... I care for him," I murmur, my voice trembling with emotion. Tears stream from my eyes like a waterfall as I admit how much I have come to care for Dare - an emotion that defies logic yet infuses every part of me.

"But it's impossible," I wail, conscious of the insurmountable obstacles we face.

Aunt Minnie pulls me into a warm embrace before pushing away slightly and looking directly into my eyes. "Talia, don't be ridiculous! Dare is obviously head-over-heels for you!"

The scoff of ridicule that leaves my lips is unintentional. "He doesn't feel anything for me."

"That's crazy. You know what we chatted about? We talked about your childhood for almost twenty minutes before you came in. He asked me to tell him about when your mother left you with me. No man just casually asks for that kind of information about a woman he doesn't have feelings for. Dare is obsessed with you."

For the first time in weeks, I begin to consider the thought that maybe Aunt Minnie actually has a point after all. Dare does seem preoccupied with me every moment we're together.

I shake my head. "I don't know."

"Well, you should. The fact that you're in love with each other is painfully obvious to everyone but the two of you, I guess."

"How much pain medicine did that nurse give you? You're talking crazy."

I stubbornly hold my ground and tell her once again that I only feel friendship towards him. She just shakes her head before changing the subject back to her latest shipment of books.

ChapterTwenty-Four

DARE

As Aunt Minnie recuperates back home, I take Talia out to the coast. The ocean is a vast expanse of blue, stretching on for miles out towards the horizon. The wind blows waves upon waves of crashing white foam, which leaves the surf smelling fresh and salty. The sun shines brightly over us as we spend hours walking along the shoreline. The light glistens off the horizon and illuminates everything around me. The wind blows in our hair and causes it to fly about in the breeze. The sun burns into the back of my neck and warms my skin, my eyes squint from the light and I stare up into the sky.