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Novel Catalog
Chapter 56
Serenity was left stunned for a moment by Zachary’s question. She hadn’t expected him to ask about her ride home, especially not in the middle of their already tense interaction. Trying to keep her composure, she replied, “Shawn drove me home,” her tone flat, though she couldn’t quite keep the edge of confusion from her voice. Was he seriously asking about this now?
Zachary’s eyes darkened as the name left her lips. “Shawn,” he muttered, the word dripping with something darker that Serenity couldn’t place. There was a brief moment of silence before he spoke again, his voice tinged with an unmistakable sharpness. “How exactly did he help you?”
Serenity, noticing the shift in his tone, couldn’t suppress her irritation. She crossed her arms, a small sigh escaping her lips. “What’s the issue? My bike broke down, and he was the one who offered to help. He didn’t just leave me stranded on the road.” She wasn’t about to let him make her feel guilty for accepting someone’s help, especially when it was from a long-time friend.
Zachary seemed to stiffen at her response, the air between them thickening with unspoken tension. His jaw clenched as if trying to keep his frustration in check. “No problem,” he finally said, though his words felt more like a dismissal. “Just making sure you weren’t… getting too close to someone else.”
The insinuation in his voice was unmistakable, and Serenity immediately bristled. The nerve of him! She took a step forward, glaring at him with a sharpness that matched his tone. “Getting close? Are you seriously questioning my actions now?” Her voice was low, but it was loaded with disbelief. “You don’t get to control who I spend time with, Zachary. Shawn is a friend, and he was kind enough to give me a ride home. End of story. I don’t need any more questions about it.”
Zachary’s gaze seemed to freeze on her, his eyes narrowing. He didn’t respond right away, but the discomfort between them was palpable, a thick, suffocating silence hanging in the air. Serenity could feel her heart pounding in her chest. How could he accuse her of something so baseless?
She had enough. Serenity finally broke the tension, her voice sharper now. “Look, I’m going to bed. I don’t know what your issue is, but I don’t have time for this. Don’t lock me out again, Zachary. I’m done with this ridiculous back and forth.”
Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked towards her bedroom. Zachary remained where he stood, his eyes following her retreating figure with a silent intensity that spoke volumes. Despite the distance between them now, the thought of her and Shawn together gnawed at him, a bitter feeling that he couldn’t shake off. His hands clenched at his sides, but he said nothing. What was he supposed to say anyway? That he didn’t like the idea of Serenity depending on anyone but him? That thought felt absurd, even to him.
As Serenity closed the door to her room, Zachary stood frozen for a long moment, as if battling something deep within. He couldn’t let go of the image of Serenity and Shawn together, and the more he thought about it, the more unsettled he became. But as he took a step toward his own bedroom, he realized that perhaps it wasn’t just Shawn who bothered him. Maybe it was the fact that Serenity had become someone he couldn’t control—and that scared him more than he cared to admit.
