His words made Raegan feel a chill in her heart.
He had hidden it from her! If she hadnât overheard Katieâs words by chance, was he ever planning to tell her?
âDid your meeting really go on for that long?â Raegan probed.
Mitchel hesitated before responding in a softer tone, âIâm sorry you had to wait.
Itâs my fault.
â
His apology, however, only added to the chill spreading through Raegan.
He dodged her question, which made her wonder whether he intended to come clean.
Suddenly, Raegan felt all her questions were pointless.
Mitchel had chosen to keep it hidden.
Why would he tell her?
Her head throbbed, her heart turned cold.
She kept silent.
Yet, she remembered her promise to Janey, to ask Mitchel gently.
With clear, earnest eyes, Raegan inquired, âMitchel, are you keeping something from me?â
Mitchel stayed cool, replying, âWhat do you wish to know? Iâm an open book.
â He dodged the question, not owning up to any secrets.
Right then, Mitchelâs phone rang, a call from Matteo.
Mitchel picked up, his expression changing with the conversation.
He uttered a few âAlrightâ and promised to deal with it.
After hanging up, Mitchel offered an apology, âRaegan, thereâs something I need to sort out.
Maybe head back first? If it gets late, I might not make it over.
Could you apologize to Janey for me?â
Raegan felt a deeper chill, a cold that enveloped her entirely.
Probing further seemed futile.
It would just leave her more humiliated.
Mitchel wrapped his arms around Raegan in a tight hug before he had to go.
His voice, still captivating, whispered, âRaegan, I miss youâ¦â
Raeganâs face turned blank and cold as she accepted his hug.
Before he left, Mitchel softly ki*sed her forehead.
Raeganâs car pulled away, and Mitchelâs figure became smaller and smaller in the distance.
Raegan couldnât stop her tears from falling.
Were all their shared moments, those intense life-or-death situations, just an act? If he didnât love her, why did he go out of his way to save her? If he did love her, why did he deceive her after they both acknowledged their feelings?
Once home, Raegan turned her phone off and went straight to bed.
Seeing Raegan needed space, Janey was exceptionally considerate and didnât intrude.
She followed Annisâs advice, cleaned up, and went to bed herself.
Raegan didnât wake up until the afternoon of the next day.
Upon waking, Raegan worried the studio might be trying to reach her, so she turned her phone back on.
Elin sent a message saying everything at the studio was being organized smoothly and advised her not to worry but to rest well.
Yet, Mitchel hadnât sent a single message the whole night.
Raegan wasnât naive.
The silence spoke volumes.
With a forced smile, she thought, maybe this was just how things were going to be.
Raegan got ready and headed to the studio.
Work was the one thing she felt she had control over.