<h4>Chapter 780: To bring you pain</h4>
"Get married?"
The words rang like a danger bell in her head, pulling a painful memory to the surface. She could still see Joshua’s face when they were nning their own wedding, the shared excitement, the guest lists, the dreams of a future that had been incinerated in the ident that took his life.
Karmen watched as the light drained from her face, her cheerful expression copsing into something dark and gloomy.
"Aisha." He reached out, his hand grasping her arm with a gentle touch. "What happened? Why did you suddenly turn quiet?"
She shook her head instinctively, pulling her arm back to create a small, safe distance between them.
"Did I trigger a memory?" Karmen asked, his voice softening as he searched her eyes for the answer.
"Kind of. I was supposed to marry..." She paused, the words catching in her throat. "I shouldn’t be thinking like this, not now, but I can’t help it."
Her eyes flooded with tears born of sudden, sharp fear. Seeing her distress, Karmen didn’t hesitate; he pulled her into a firm hug, one arm wrapping tightly around her waist while his other hand rested protectively on the back of her head, pressing her face into his chest.
"I’m sorry," he whispered into her hair. "I didn’t mean to bring you pain."
"No, you haven’t," Aisha replied, shutting her eyes tight and letting the warmth of his embrace ground her.
They stayed like that for a long moment. Karmen eventually pulled away slowly, pressing a lingering, tender kiss to her forehead. His palm remained rested on her cheek, his thumb brushing away a stray tear.
"Do you want some water?" he inquired.
Aisha shook her head in refusal, her breath finally evening out.
He grasped her hand and guided her to a sleek counter chair, making sure she was settled before taking the seat next to her. "This time, you’ll get to live happily. I promise." He tilted his head slightly, catching her gaze to ensure she saw the sincerity in his eyes.
Aisha managed a small, fragile smile. "I pray for this. I just... I don’t want anything to happen to you because of me," she added, the old fear still whispering in the back of her mind.
"Nothing will happen. And Aisha, you must stop ming yourself for Joshua’s ident," Karmen exined, his tone as gentle as possible. "You can’t control when someone’s timees. That isn’t in our hands."
He reached for the cheesecake box, flipping the lid open to reveal the perfect, creamy dessert. "Now, let’s eat. I think we both need something sweet."
Aisha smiled, nodding her head.
~~~~
Dominick and Jeniva sat in the quiet park near her ce. Most of the families and joggers had already headed home, leaving them in a pocket of privacy.
"You’ve been quiet ever since you arrived," Jeniva said, tilting her head to catch his eye in the dim light. "Did you see your ex again? Don’t tell me you picked another fight with her?"
Dominick let out a dry chuckle, leaning back against the cold wooden ts of the bench. "No. I didn’t meet her, and I certainly didn’t fight with her," he answered, though his gaze remained fixed on the darkened treeline. "What makes you think that’s the only reason I’d be quiet?"
"Because whenever you’re feeling unsure of yourself, the first thing that happens is an outburst," Jeniva countered, her voice calm but knowing. She watched him closely, noting the tension in his jaw that even hisughter couldn’t quite hide.
Dominick sighed. "I refused to ept my fault. And even when I did, I was arrogant. I moved on too fast, didn’t I?" He turned his head, his gaze searching hers for an honest answer.
"Are you feeling guilty about that?" Jeniva asked.
"I feel bad, not necessarily guilty," Dominick affirmed, looking back toward the empty park. "I tried to stay away from the idea of a mate. I even rejected you once. But it came back. The bond returned regardless of what I wanted. I don’t fully understand it, which is why we decided to... well, why we decided to move forward with this."
"True," Jeniva stated with a pragmatic gaze. "We rejected each other once, thinking everything would turn out fine on its own. But when it didn’t, we found our way back. We’re still getting to know each other, Dominick. We didn’t start with those deep, overwhelming feelings. We started with a choice."
"I don’t want to be the man who only acts out of duty or a bond," Dominick murmured. "I want to be the man who chooses you because he wants to."
"Hmm. I know," Dominick murmured.
He lowered his gaze for a moment until Jeniva spoke again.
"My sister is returning tomorrow for a short break," she stated, her tone shifting to something more practical. "I haven’t told her about us yet."
Dominick looked up, his brow furrowing slightly. "I told you not to hesitate in telling her. My family already knows, well, everyone except for Kate," he answered.
"I’ll see to it," Jeniva replied, her expression unreadable. She stood up from the bench, smoothing out her coat, and extended her hand toward him.
Dominick reached out and caught it. With surprising strength, she pulled him up, the momentum drawing him so close that their chests nearly brushed.
"Don’t worry so much, Dominick," she whispered, her eyes locking onto his. "Moving on isn’t bad," Jeniva said. "And I’m sure your ex will also move on now that you’ve been clear with her and apologized from the bottom of your heart."
Dominick smiled, feeling a rare sense offort in her words. Yet, even as the tension in his chest eased, a familiar doubt lingered in the back of his mind.
’Would I fuck up this time, too?’ The fear of repeating his old patterns was a shadow he couldn’t quite shake, no matter how much he tried to step into the light.
"You should go back," Jeniva pronounced, breaking his train of thought as she looked up at the ink-ck sky. "It’ll bete by the time you reach the pce."
"I’ll walk you to your home first," Dominick said, walking a step ahead of her.
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