Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

The last word hung in the air, stretching out until the room fell silent.

They were married now, after all. If anything happened between them, it was only natural. He was just overthinking it.

He held his breath for a whole minute before blurting out, "I ate. I just wanted to see where you've been going lately."

What he didn't say: he was terrified that one day he'd wake up, and Clara would suddenly tell him she was leaving the city. The idea of being left behind haunted him.

Clara slid into her seat at the table. After another day of chaos, she was actually starving. She looked up at Dylan. "Come eat with me."

He closed his laptop and joined her, but didn't start eating right away. Instead, he set her favorite foods-freshly baked croissants, crispy bacon, and a steaming bowl of soup-right by her hand. He placed the soup in front of her before even touching his own plate.

Clara was used to being taken care of like this. She started eating, slow and steady, savoring each bite.

Ryan, though, couldn't get used to it at all. He wanted to cover his eyes. The Dylan he was seeing right now-there was no way this was the real Dylan.

After they finished, Clara reminded Dylan, "Just stay here and get some work done. I have to go out for a bit. And don't let your guys follow me, got it?"

flicker of worry crossed his face. He hesitated,

soon as Ryan buckled into the

to him? Did you put a spell on

help but laugh, though there was a hint of bitterness in her voice. Dylan really was obedient. Stubborn,

sighed, started the car, and headed for

didn't go upstairs with

hospital room. He looked a lot better today, his face less pale

chair and sat beside his bed. "Aiden, does Dylan have some sort of mental

the boss has a lot of issues. When it comes to his feelings, if he doesn't want to talk, I don't ask. He doesn't tell the doctor much, either. But you've been around him long enough to see it. When

he forced her to marry him, when he locked her up in

affected him. Because somewhere deep down, he

Dylan was terrified she'd get her

it-like she was on the edge of remembering something important. The

how stubborn he is. He won't tell me anything. Maybe it's just..." She trailed

for her. "Maybe the boss never believed there was any real future between you two. He thinks any happiness he has is just an illusion, waiting to be shattered. That makes