Chapter 198

Chapter 198:

But I didn’t feel comfortable with that.

I couldn’t just sit around, watching them handle all the chores and still cook for me while I did nothing all day. Boredom was driving me crazy. They tried to engage with me whenever I was free, but it wasn’t enough. I needed to keep myself busy.

Though my feet still hurt, it wasn’t enough to restrict my movement anymore. The pain only flared up when I put pressure on them.

A sigh of satisfaction escaped me when I finished sweeping. I couldn’t help but feel proud of myself.

But that wasn’t enough.

I grabbed a spray can filled with liquid soap, a bottle of vinegar, a pair of rubber gloves, a scrubber, and a squeegee. I placed everything in a big bucket and walked past Dax and Devin’s room.

A small noise caught my attention, making me stop in my tracks.

It was just noises—they were awake.

I leaned against the wooden door, pressing my ear to it to catch their words. I wasn’t the nosy type, but I couldn’t help myself that morning.

The scent of rain and honey filled my nostrils, calming me.

“Maybe the animal trap was a bad idea. Every time I dress the bandage on her feet, I feel like we were the cause of her injury,” Dax’s voice reached my ears.

“It isn’t our fault. We set the trap for wild animals. We didn’t know a girl would show up in the heart of the woods at an ungodly hour,” Devin replied.

“But that doesn’t explain the question I asked,” Dax’s voice came again.

Your next journey starts at gⱯlnσν𝓮ℓs․𝒸o𝗺

“I have an answer for you, Devin. Bugger off,” Dax retorted.

“I noticed your closeness, and it’s enough for me to conclude that you have feelings for her. You need to be careful, Dax. She’s still a stranger,” he warned, a frown crossing my face. Did he trust me yet?

That explained why he always wore a mask.

“It’s pity,”

“No, it’s not,” Devin shot back.

“If it’s not pity, then what else do I feel for a girl who had a miscarriage? I just want her to feel loved. It’s clear the father of the baby was a jerk for abandoning her,” Dax tried to explain, but he was interrupted by Devin’s scoff.

“You love her. Be careful. I can sniff your lies.”

Warning, self-harm!

Aurora

I didn’t waste any more time listening to them. Grabbing the cleaning equipment, I rushed to the next available window. That was it. My morning was ruined.

With tears pouring down my face, I put on the gloves and began cleaning the windows. The excitement I had felt earlier was gone. The birds’ songs and chirping that had once serenaded me now meant nothing. Dax’s words felt like a sharp knife, stabbing my heart and reopening a wound that had begun to heal.

His words were like salt, rubbing into an open injury, stinging and filling me with searing pain as I remembered my past. I transferred all my frustration onto the windows, scrubbing them with all my might, crying uncontrollably.

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