Page 54 of They Are Mine

I send her texts throughout the day so she knows I’m thinking about her.

I sing to her.

And she loves it.

She looks at me like I hung the moon. Like I’m everything she’s ever wanted.

And then, tonight…

She tells me about him.

We’re at the table, our empty plates pushed to the side, candlelight flickering between us.

Juliet is calm.

Like this is a completely normal conversation.

And I?

I am stunned.

Hurt.

I meet her eyes, my stomach twisting, my fingers flexing against the table. “Who is he?”

She tilts her head slightly, brushing her fingers through her hair. “Well… that’s complicated,” she says.

My throat feels tight. I don’t understand. “But… you love him?” I ask.

She smiles. Soft, patient. Like I just don’t get it yet, but I will.

“Of course I do,” she says. “Not like you. But yes. He’s different than you. Wouldn’t come between us. Doesn’t love like you do.”

My stomach twists.

When? How?

She’s so devoted.

When the hell did she have time to fall in love with someone else?

I shake my head, struggling to piece this together. “How long has this been going on?”

“It’s not exactly going on,” she says smoothly. “I’m talking to you first, to let you know, before I really do what’s needed to bring him in.”

Bring him in.

I blink, my pulse pounding. “Bring… bring him in?” I repeat, voice hollow. “Who is he, Juliet?”

She exhales, like I’m frustrating her now. Like this should be obvious. “I haven’t exactly gotten that far,” she says, rollingher eyes slightly. “In case you haven’t noticed, all of my time has been spent on you and us.” She says it like it’s a fact.

Like it’s so natural, so logical.

And fuck, my head is spinning.

She reaches for my hand, threading her fingers through mine, soft and sweet. “I thought you’d understand,” she says, voice gentle, coaxing. She tilts her head, squeezing my fingers. “Don’t you want me happy, Noah?”

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

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