Page 80 of Nemesis
I steered left when I found the set of glass doors I was looking for. I pushed them open, allowing the night air to wash over me, the cool and quiet calming my jittering nerves.
Shake it off, Sofia. You spent years training for this and preparing for tonight.
I took a deep breath and stepped out onto the hidden terrace I’d found when I visited the site a few weeks ago.
I plopped the miniature version of abriouatin my mouth to satiate the hunger as I walked across it. I leaned against the steel railing and took in the view, scanning the length of the property’s grounds.
Below, the gardens rolled up behind the building and bled into the harbor across the street. Street lamps cast light upon the empty grounds.
The air was filled with the faint music echoing from the ballroom downstairs, blending with the sound of boats coasting away, leaving behind the promise of peace that I'll be able to revel in soon enough.
I wasn't sure how much time had passed when a door swung open, the faint sound of the quartet intensified in the air. Then, a warm presence appeared behind me, his arms suddenly circling around my waist to bring me back against him, the heat of his body wrapping around mine like a blanket, gooseflesh peppering my skin.
My hands tightened against the railing, the cold biting into my palms. I sighed and leaned into him, pressing my body into his. My breathing evened out, my head relaxing against his chest. I placed my hand above his and he threaded his fingers through mine.
My eyes fluttered shut, as I let his woodsy scent consume my senses.
“Sofia,” he whispered low.
He slowly slid his left hand down the curve of my waist to rest on my hip. A soft rumble of satisfaction vibrated through my body, settling deep in my core. I focused on the weight of his hands against my body, his knuckles drawing slow circles against my waist.
My need for him was so fierce it left me breathless.
His lips pressed against my temple, peppering soft kisses along the side of my face before he brushed them against the slope of my neck, branding me and sending another wave of goose bumps scattering across my skin.
I pressed further into him, a soft moan leaving my lips and threading through the languid atmosphere.
The tension swirling around us was so overwhelming that it sent an icy bucket of realization down my spine, reminding me I had to put a stop to this.
For now.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and fostered the courage to push him away against my will.
“We can’t do this,” I whispered so low, I wasn’t sure if he’d even heard me.
But the previous current of electricity running between us suddenly evaporated, Theo freezing behind me at my confession. He grabbed my chin and maneuvered me so I was now facing him.
He angled my head up, but my gaze was cast downward. “Sofia, look at me,” he urged, gripping my chin tighter.
I looked up at him in the darkness, his eyes dark and shining with confusion under the moonlight, the silver light hitting the angles of his cheeks, the strong lines of his neck straining from the weight of my confession.
“What do you mean bywe can’t do this? Can’t do what, Sofia?” he asked, cocking his head to the side, surprised by the sudden change in my demeanor.
His hand left my chin as he reached for me, but I took a step back.
The air left my body as the lies scratched their way out. “I mean we can’t do this.” I gestured between our bodies. “Us.”
“I’m sorry?” he said, stunned, the weight of my words making him stumble back as if I’d physically pushed him.
“I’m married and I’m not willing to end it yet,” I lied, hoping the darkness surrounding us masked my pained expression.
Theo knew me too well. He was too attuned to me so he’d know if I was lying. But I was hoping that maybe in the dark, he wouldn’t be able to decipher me as easily as he usually did. I hoped the harshness of my words would hurt him enough to let go.
I’d become a professional liar and never once felt guilty about any lie that helped me get here, butfuck, this was hard. I hated myself for doing this to him.
He stood still, in shock from the cruel echo of my words.
“I can’t give up on my marriage,” I added.
