Chapter 203

Henry Smith came back two hours later than I expected. By the time he walked in, I’d already finished dinner, taken a quick shower, and was lying in bed. When he slipped into the room, the clock on the nightstand said 9 p.m. I was lying on my side, pretending to sleep, while I heard him quietly walking into the bathroom. The sound of water echoed softly in the quiet night, slowly washing over my tired heart. Twenty minutes later, he lifted the covers and climbed into bed, wrapping an arm around my shoulders from behind. His lips brushed against the back of my neck, planting a heavy kiss. I kept my eyes shut tight, pretending to be asleep, but still couldn’t stop the slight shiver that ran through me. His fingers quickly found their way to my chest, gently kneading as he whispered, “Still pretending?” I slowly opened my eyes, lips pressed tightly together, worried that any little slip would give me away. I was never good at lying, and he’d definitely ask about Eli Watson stopping by tod