Chapter 24: 24

Word Count: 2076

~Avila

Tay lays back on my bed, her head hanging over the edge as she reads from her book.

Since she found out I've been hanging out with Azura, she has been at my side for most of the day, everyday. I've acclimated to her presence, especially since we mostly just read.

I know Tay doesn't enjoy reading. I watch her skim the pages and sigh wistfully every so often.

Still, she hasn't asked to change activities. She's trying to appeal to my interests, which I appreciate.

"So, one of Kaan's close friends is coming to visit," she notes. The sunlight coming through my bedroom dances along the waves in her soft brown hair. She always has it down, wild and loose.

"Oh, who?" I ask absentmindedly, flipping my page.

"His name is Carsen. He comes from a nearby Pack."

I drop my book, looking at her. She's leaned up now, clearly bored of reading already. Her change in tone, the way she looks out the window, and the compromising colour in her cheeks tells me all I need to know.

"You're blushing."

"Huh?" She squeaks. "No I'm not..."

"Taysa, I'm no fool. I know a love struck girl when I see one," I note, not bothering to hide my smile.

Tay is a hopeless romantic. She clearly has a crush on either Saren or Zain, Kaan's friends, but this feels different. This is anticipation that she can hardly contain.

"I am not in love with Carson," she grumbles, tucking her hair behind her ear.

She gets up, like she can't bear to be sitting under my scrutiny. She wanders around the room, her dress swishing at her knees as she picks up random items around the room, examining them.

This room has slowly become one I'm reluctant to leave behind. Back home, I had nothing personal. My room felt like a barren prison, and now I'm here, in a bedroom full of light, with furnishings and items I've procured myself.

And I'm going to have to abandon it all...

"It's a crush."

Tay sighs, relenting. "A small one."

"This is great! Why don't you go for it?" I encourage.

My goal is to have everyone here settled and happy before I leave. Well, at least Azura and Tay. Kaan can look after himself.

Plus, if I leave, attention will sweep to Tay, and she will be expected to marry. She deserves love, and if she can secure a proposal with someone she really likes, then all the better.

"Because he's five years older than me, and is the only friend Kaan has been allowed to have according to our parents, so he would kill me if I ruined it," she groans, flopping onto the bed, digging her face into my sheets.

I lean forward, brushing at her hair.

"I can talk to Kaan..."

Tay jolts her head up, her large green eyes glimmering with unbound hope. "He would listen to you?"

"Ah, well I'm nearly his wife, right?" I smile.

She giggles, nodding.

Kaan will listen to me. For the sake of his sister, I think he has to.

The fabled Carson arrives mid-afternoon. We are all to gather under the pergola in the garden to have some tea under the burning sun.

However, the moment I see the man as Tay and I walk across the lawn from the house, horror crawls into my stomach, settling there.

Carson. Fuck. How did that name not immediately sound familiar to me?

I know him. His fluffy blond hair has been trimmed back, and he looks a lot older, more refined. I should have figured it would be him. He intermingles with many Noble families, including mine.

He knows who I am. And now he's sitting next to my mate, who doesn't.

My feet dig into the grass, the urge to run back into the manor overwhelming. It's too late, as Tay keeps her arm looped through mine, dragging me toward the table.

"Carson! It's so great to see you," she sings out, painting on her broadest smile.

My throat feels tight, my breath coming out in panicked rasps. Carson looks to Tay with warm brown eyes, then shifts his attention to me.

His smile immediately fades.

"Hello Taysa...And, sorry, I've forgotten your name," he says, tapping his chin as he searches through his memories. It's only a matter of time before he pieces this together.

Kaan looks between us. "You know Hunter?"

I grimace. My mate, the ever-observant one, can clearly tell there's something off about our interaction. I mean, I can brush off how unstable I am on my feet due to my injury, but the immediate panic on my face upon seeing Carson cannot so easily be explained away.

Carson looks thoughtful for a moment, then shakes his head. "I thought I did, but that name doesn't ring a bell."

"I'm sure I would remember your face, Carson," I force out, smiling tightly.

Tay and I sit next to each other. Her opposite her brother, and me opposite Carson, who is examining me with an impassive gaze. It's impossible to tell if he recognises me yet.

I should have cut off my hair and scarred myself...something to make myself look less recognisable to people like him, who I should have eventually guessed would pass through this place.

I mean, Kaan and I don't exactly come from opposing backgrounds. How he doesn't know who I am is a miracle, although I suppose his family have been awfully reclusive over the years.

"So, Kaan, tell me who you managed to get such a beautiful woman to agree to marry you?" Carson says lightly, nudging his friend.

Kaan leans back in his seat, the sunlight casting a pretty light over him. "I want to say it's my looks, but let's be real, it's obligation."

Carson laughs first, followed by Tay, and then me. Maybe if I weren't waiting with baited breath for Carson to reveal my secret, I would be more in the mood to be amused.

"We all know that too well, don't we Hunter?" Carson notes, raising a brow at me.

I stiffen. The way he says my name, the way he looks at me, his gaze summoning a hardened, accusatory edge all of a sudden, lets me know he knows exactly who I am.

"Oh yes." I pick up the tea being served in front of me, taking a sip. "I'm definitely not here because of Kaan's dazzling personality."

Kaan shakes his head at me, a smile playing on his lips. "Very funny."

"I like your sense of humour," Carson brings up. "It reminds me of someone I once knew."

I take yet another tip of my tea, not caring that it's burning my tongue. I've become so accustomed to pain, getting hit by a horse at full speed probably wouldn't faze me.

"A girl?" Kaan presses.

"Yes. A very beautiful one too." Carson's gaze sweeps back to me. "Not that she could have given me a chance, even if she wanted to. She was promised to another man."

I stare him down, my gaze narrowing slightly. What's the playing at? Why won't he say something already, rather than sit here, teasing me with what we both know to be true.

He knows about my fiance. He knows I belonged to someone else, and now I'm sitting here, supposedly marrying his best friend.

"That sucks, man," Kaan mutters, sifting his hand through his thick hair.

"I wasn't in love with her or anything. But at some point, I considered her a friend."

Tay shifts uncomfortably beside me, clearly dejected at hearing Carson talk about another woman like this. Little does she know, this woman is me, and Carson and I were never romantically involved. He may have flirted on occasion, but the three times he visited, we would speak quite freely with each other.

He's right...I also considered him a friend.

"You must be looking to marry soon? Right Carson?" I say, trying to shift the attention away from me and to my friend, who waits with bated breath, wanting to add to the conversation.

He dips his head. "It's on my mind."

"Taysa, it's about time you start looking. I'm sure your parents will be concentrating on you as soon as Kaan and I are married." I look to her, giving her an urgent look, wanting her to play along.

If she wants to secure a proposal from Carson, who admittedly, would make a good husband, she needs to work a little harder.

"They will." Her cheeks flush bright red.

"I'm sorry to be a pain," Carson exclaims abruptly. "Do you mind if we have a private chat, Hunter? I'm dying to ask some questions about my best friend's future wife."

I clear my throat. "Ah...well."

"Be nice to her, alright?" Kaan warns, looking between us too. He's so painfully oblivious, making it so much harder to continue hiding this from him.

Tay looks panicked. "You'll come back though, right?"

"Of course, we will be only a few moments," he assures her before he holds his hand out to me. "Come, Hunter."

Reluctantly, I take it, letting him help me stand. I should have done a better job at getting myself out of this. I have a horrific back injury, I mean, I could have said anything and they would have had to let me return to my room.

Instead, I'm walking away from the pergola and toward the forest, led by a man I once knew from my other life.

"This is an interesting look for you, Livia," he says once we are out of earshot from Kaan and Tay, who by now, must be bickering about something, paying us no mind.

"That's not my name anymore," I bite out.

We sweep around the other side of the house. Carson pauses, dropping my hand. I face him.

"And what would your fiancé think about that?" He demands, raising his blond brows.

I should have known I wouldn't be able to keep this ruse up or long. This morning my back felt much better after Kaan's massage, but I know the pain will return in full force later...I'm in no condition to flee.

"You can't say anything Carson," I plead.

He grabs my shoulders. "What happened Liv? They are looking everywhere for you."

"I can't go back. Not after everything he has done to me." I know he's seen the bruises. I cried on his shoulder one night, and he soothed me until morning.

Carson steps back, chewing on a nail as he thinks. He's torn between his duty, and his friendship to me.

"Does Kaan know?"

"His parents do. No one else can know," I insist. I know it's a low chance, but Kaan could always have me sent back out of pure anger for keeping this from him.

I wouldn't blame him, either. I deserve it.

"You're more willing to marry Kaan than him?" Carson questions.

Kaan may have shot me in the back, but he would never raise a hand to me. He would never put me down, manipulate and gaslight me.

"Believe it or not, yes."

Carson sweeps both hands through his hair, clutching his light strands. "He's my friend..."

"I'll tell him, alright? Just let me make sure he won't send me off back home the moment he finds out," I exclaim. I'm getting to feeling Carson is torn on this, but he's going to side with me.

He knows what I went through...

"He will want to know."

"I'll tell him."

"He may come off one way, but I've never met a more gentle, generous man who will do anything for his family." Carson glances over his shoulder, as if someone may be listening. Around here, you never know.

"I'm not trying to hurt him." It isn't my intention to bring him any more pain. He's my mate. I want him to be happy, just not at my expense.

Carson sighs through his nose. "Do it soon, alright?"

"I will Carson. I will." I'm not lying either. I have to tell him, before this starts spiralling out of control.

I'll do it tonight.

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