Feeling like I was on fire, a fever seemed to envelop me, recalling the last time I flirted with him. That moment flashed before my eyes again as I gazed at the face before me, so full of a certain restraint, and I remembered what Fanny Willis had once said.,

"Ernest, have you been with other women?

" Despite him claiming he'd never even had a girlfriend, I felt compelled to ask again., His eyes deepened.

"...No.

", Those words sent a shiver down my spine.

"Do you want to?

", His jaw clenched, and suddenly, it felt like the world around me faded away, overtaken by the intense feeling of his lips against mine. As Ernest breathed heavily, I knew the answer., But he didn't continue. Instead, he rested his forehead against mine.

"How long do you intend to test me, or is it your intention to torment me?

", Seeing his restraint, the evident desire yet fierce self-control, I touched his face.

"Do you really want this? Is your desire purely for me?

", Asking this, I was reminded of how Conrad's casual disinterest had once hurt me, deeply.,

"Yes,

" he gasped,

"Only you.

", Hearing that, I closed my eyes, feeling something inside me settle.,

"Jo...

", Ernest's call was silenced by my kiss, pulling him to continue.,

"Should we wait?

" He asked, restrained, at the last moment.,

"Wait for what?

" My voice trembled.,

"Wait till the day I marry you,

" Ernest's eyes glowed., I looked at him.

"If you're not sincere, marriage wouldn't stop betrayal.

",

"I won't,

" he whispered, kissing the tip of my nose,

"I will never betray you, Licia.

", He made a promise, but I no longer believed in promises., Conrad had promised me too, but he ended up straying., In a world where divorces outnumber marriages daily, promises are the least reliable., Today, my connection with Ernest began with a spark and emotion., If there's a future, let it happen naturally. If not, there's no disappointment., As the saying goes, the greatest pain comes from expecting too much and receiving too little., So without expectations, letting things take their course means no pain, no sorrow.,

"But I can't promise I won't betray you,

" I found myself saying something only a heartbreaker would., Ernest paused, taken aback. I forced a smile.

"Ernest, if you're having second thoughts, it's not too late to back out.

",

"No second thoughts. If that happens, it's on me,

" Ernest murmured against my lips,

"It's my fault for not being enough to keep you.

" My heart ached at his words., Ernest, oh Ernest, always knew how to touch the softest part of my heart., Letting go of Conrad, I thought part of the reason he looked elsewhere was because I wasn't good enough., Once again, I initiated the kiss, pulling at his clothes..., The night was a whirlwind, only settling into sleep on Ernest's clean sheets as dawn approached., Yet, sleep didn't keep dreams at bay, and I dreamt of Conrad, bloodied and standing before me, calling out,

"Felicia Hudson...

", In the dream, I too was asleep, but his calls woke me., Opening my eyes to see him covered in blood, panic set in instantly.

"Conrad, what happened? Why are you bleeding so much?

"

"Felicia, would you be sad if I died?

",

"Conrad, why would you die? What happened? Conrad, speak to me...Conrad, Conrad...

",

"Licia, wake up, Felicia, wake up...

" Ernest's anxious voice pulled me from the nightmare., Opening my eyes, his worried face before me, my vision was still haunted by the image of Conrad, bloodied in my dream., Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.