Meanwhile, at a café…
I finally finished cleaning up the little shop, hands on my waist, letting out a heavy sigh of relief.
This was the place I’d opened with my college upperclass Jareth Reid.
In the two months since I left Lorian, I’d accepted Jareth’s confession.
He’d fallen for me at first sight back in college.
Then he’d quietly pined for me for seven whole years.After I moved here, he’d helped me with everything.
The walls around my heart that Lorian had built were slowly being torn down by Jareth.
“Hey,Saffron, what do you feel like eating tonight?”
Jareth pushed the shopping cart as we walked through the supermarket.
I smiled and rattled off a few dishes, and Jareth agreed to all of them.
Laughter reached his eyes as he squeezed our intertwined hands tighter.
We walked out of the store together, arms full of groceries.
“I want to swing by the shop first and sort out tomorrow’s coffee beans.” I swung our joined hands playfully. “Want
to come with me, artist boy?”
Jareth kissed my forehead. “Absolutely.”
Our sweet moment was being watched by someone else entirely.
Lorian suddenly lunged forward, yanking me roughly into his arms, eyes blazing with possession.
“Saffron!” He gripped my shoulders painfully tight, jealously pressing his lips to my forehead.
“How could you! How could you let another man touch you!”
“Saffron, how could you do this to me!”
Lorian’s eyes were bloodshot, his heart feeling like it was being ripped apart.
“Do you have any idea how much it fucking killed me to see you kiss him?”
He held me captive in his arms like a madman, no matter how hard I struggled.
15:44
Husbandia
Chapter 11
Lorian kissed my lips desperately, as if trying to erase every trace another man had left behind.
“Saffron, you’re mine. You can only be mine…”
“Let her go!” Jareth stepped forward and landed a solid punch right in Lorian’s face.
Lorian staggered back in pain, finally loosening his grip on me.
“Jareth,” I sobbed, and he immediately pulled me protectively behind him.
Lorian wiped the blood from his lip, his eyes completely bloodshot.
“Saffron.” I quickly covered my ears, not wanting to hear a single word from him.
“Saffron, please, don’t do this.” Seeing my rejection was like a sword through Lorian’s heart. “You’re literally killing me…!”
“Saffron, just look at me once. Please, I’m begging you.” The man abandoned all his pride and dignity, pleading with me desperately.
I just closed my eyes. Seeing me like this, Jareth immediately wrapped me in his arms.
“Lorian, just leave her alone.”
Jareth’s usually gentle face turned cold. “Haven’t you hurt her enough? What gives you the right to come looking for her?”
Lorian didn’t even glance at him, his pain–filled gaze fixed only on me in Jareth’s embrace.
Jareth said nothing more, simply scooped me up, hailed a taxi, and carried me into the car.
The taxi sped away, leaving Lorian standing there alone.
