Chapter 70

Celia

“Celia!”

My body freezes at the sound of my name. I slowly look up and away from the roses, noticing Soren staring at me from across the street. I drop the watering can and shake my head, immediately turning around and rushing back up the stairs.

“No! Wait!”

I cut him off and slam the door behind me, locking it. I move deep inside the house and shake my head, dread overcoming my senses as well as the mate bond I share with the man. I close my eyes and move into Donna’s living room, plopping onto her old couch, and cover my face with one of her embroidered pillows.

“Celia? Dear? What is wrong? Is everything okay?” Donna asks me as she enters the room, her cane thudding against the ground to announce her entrance.

I peel the pillow away from my face and take a deep breath, meeting her kind and gentle gaze. Just as I am about to respond to her, the scent of honeysuckle and storm wind overtakes my senses, making me feel off balance and weirdly energetic.

The couch dips from beside me and a gentle hand is placed on top of my shoulder. I open my eyes and look at Donna, who sympathetically stares at me. She gently rubs my back and is patient.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

I flinch with every sound, my body tensing. Donna looks at the door then turns her attention back to me, a small frown overtaking her expression, her wrinkles deepening from disappointment.

“Celia, what is going on?” she asks one last time. I sigh and bite the inside of my cheek, unable to string together any kind of sentence to explain myself.

“Do you remember our time in the diner? How I told you about the boy I like and how he treated me rather poorly?” I begin. Donna nods. “Well…when I was watering your plants for you, I saw him across the street…and I think he is the one knocking at the door.”

“How did he find you?” Donna is as perplexed as I am.

“I-I don’t know,” I stammer.

Donna slowly stands up from the couch and begins to walk towards the door. I’m frozen in place, stuck, and am forced to watch her from afar.

“No! Donna! It’s okay! Just ignore him!” I call out.

“I am going to give him a stern talking to!” Donna announces to the hallway. “He does not get to get away with how he treated you!”

The door swings open and I flinch, covering my face with the embroidered pillow once again.

“Young man, you are not welcome here! You better get going!” Donna yells as loud as she can, although it comes out as a somewhat gentle yell.

“I am so sorry for disturbing you, ma’am, but I believe that there is someone I know inside your home and I would like to talk with her,” Soren’s voice echoes through the house.

I feel oddly comforted and yet am on edge. It is a paradox that I am unable to come to terms with.

I stand from the couch and inch towards the front foyer of the house. I poke my head from around the corner and my eyes immediately meet Soren’s. His lips push into a thin line and he towers over Donna while she waves her cane at him.

“Go on! Get out of here!” Donna exclaims.

“Celia, I can see you,” Soren says with a sigh, “can you please come out here? We need to talk.”

Before I can even think, my body unconsciously moves, my feet carrying me towards the door. My eyes never leave Soren’s, his green hues burning into mine. I stand behind Donna and gently place my hands on top of her shoulders.

“It’s okay, Donna, I’ll handle this,” I speak.

Donna sighs and nods, waddling away the best she can but she keeps her distance in the room right next to us, her eyes remaining on me.

“What do you want, Soren?” I ask and cross my arms over my chest. I scowl at him, not wanting him to think that his sudden surprise of being in Oxford Bay is welcome.

“Come home, Celia,” he begins. He stays right where he is, not breaking the barrier of the door that separates the two of us. “I want to understand why you ran away and also apologize for the words that I have said in the text messages. You didn’t give me a chance to—”

“To what? Explain?” I finish his sentence for him. He nods. “Why would I let you do that? You said what you said! How can there be any type of reasoning or excuse to make up for the comments?! You called me trash, Soren!” I raise my voice him, pointing a finger at him.

“I-I know I did and I am so genuinely sorry for that, Celia,” Soren’s voice cracks ever so slightly.

“I ran away because I can’t trust you. I don’t know if I will ever be able to trust you ever again in my life,” I ignore his apology and dismiss it as trash. “I can see your motives. They are so clear to me now. You wish to use me as a pawn just like everyone else. You want to become more powerful and by marrying the Lycan princess.”

Soren remains silent. His Adam’s apple bobs up and down, a look of remorse and hurt flashing across his face. Soren clenches his jaw and shifts his weight between his two feet, fidgeting in his spot.

“I hate you, Soren. Any kind of love I once felt for you is gone,” my voice shakes, trembling from the admission. “I can’t trust you. I can’t feel safe near you anymore, and I most certainly am not going to go back to that place with you.”

“Celia, please…please do not do this to me. I can’t handle being away from you,” Soren pleads.

“Why should I ever care? I’m just a waste of oxygen. Maybe you can find another substitute and ruin their life instead of destroying mine again,” I shrug in response. “I am simply fulfilling the contract we signed. I have left your life and you will never see me again. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“No, Celia, why would I ever want that?” Soren pleads. He reaches for me but his hands immediately retract back to his body. His hands flex, bones cracking.

“It is what you wanted a month ago…” I swallow the lump in my throat and watch as his eyes turn glossy. He blinks away the tears and clears his throat, looking away from my gaze. “I am just going what you wanted. What changed?”

“This isn’t fair,” Soren speaks out. I scoff and shrug, leaning against the wooden door for support.

“What isn’t fair is being called a bitch, a piece of trash, a waste of space, and a worthless substitute who was only ever after your money. I could not defend myself against that and I have tried so many god damn times to show you that I am not like that. I even told you that I loved you, Soren, and you threw me away!”

My anger begins to boil inside my chest, ready to explode at any moment.

“Celia, please—”

“No, Soren, I’m done. I don’t want to hear it. Just…fuck off,” I spit the words into his face and slam the door, locking off that part of my life once and for all.

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