Page 55 of The Obedient Lie
“I just want to get this done,” I said, eyes back on the screen. “That’s all.”
He didn’t reply.
Just stayed where he was—warm, steady,infuriatingly silent.
The sound of the storm outside filled the room. Another low rumble of thunder rolled over the roof.
I glanced at the time.
8:04 PM.I’d officially met my curfew. Filed the damn biometric check-in. Done everything right.
The twins now made an effort to make sure they signed their names every night. I wasn’t sure why. Every night they put their hand out for my phone.
So why did I still feel like I was balancing on a knife’s edge?
“I’ll have the first draft done tonight,” I said quietly, eyes fixed on the screen. “You can review it or not. Doesn’t matter. I know you didn’t want this.”
He didn’t move.
Didn’t answer.
Just set the glass down, the quiet click of it hitting the table louder than it should’ve been.
He turned toward me fully then.
I didn’t have to look to feel it.
The weight of it. His body angled toward mine, his stare hitting like heat against the side of my neck.
“You have no idea what I want,” he murmured.
My fingers froze on the keys.
I didn’t dare look at him.
And all I wanted—all Iwanted—was to stay invisible.
It had been an hour since Luca sat down beside me.
An hour since I told myself to breathe, to focus, to keep my hands steady and my legs from jittering.
An hour of pretending I didn’t feel the heat of his thigh next to mine, or the way his shoulder sometimes brushed mine like he forgot we weren’t supposed to touch.
Then Bastion walked in.
No warning. No sound. Just the softclickof the door, the cool shift in the air, and him?—
Silent. Watchful.
Dropping into the armchair directly across from us, like he had every right to be there.
Maybe he did.
But that didn’t mean it made sense.
I hadn’t seen him at this hour in weeks. Not like this.Not here.
Luca didn’t even glance up.
