Chapter 163. Aaron’s POV
Aaron’s POV:
I opened my eyes in a daze as the buttery morning sun- light poured through the window.
The golden light gave our room a hazy, dreamy quality. Our warm bed was enveloped by Olive’s sweet, clean smell. The corners of my lips lifted slightly. My heart was so full of joy and satisfaction, it could almost burst.
Last night had been a very good night for me and Olive.
She was more passionate than ever, as tantalizingly se- ductive as a siren luring sailors into the waves. She h*oked an arm around my neck, lifted her head slightly off the pillow, stared at me with those emerald green eyes, and called my name over and over again: “Aaron, Aaron…”
“I’m here.” I kissed both corners of her lips and lifted her up to carry her off the bed. I braced her against the dresser and watched her back in the mirror as she writhed against me, my eyes never leaving her body.
She clung tightly to me, and the sound of her coquettish little gasps was more beautiful than a symphony to my ears.
After so many years of just getting by, Olive had finally shown me what it was like to be truly happy.
It was Olive who brought me back to life. It was Olive who taught me how many wonderful things are out there waiting to be discovered. And it was Olive who made me look forward the future for the first time in a long time, because now my
to
The more time I spent with her, the more I felt that I couldn’t live without her. She was my sunshine, my oxygen. With Olive, I could see myself living a peaceful and quiet life. Opening my eyes and seeing her every morning was the only excitement I needed.
It was just too bad we couldn’t be alone together on this trip. Of course, Cinder was Olive’s best friend, so naturally they wanted to spend time together. But the young, attractive Eliott made me feel a little insecure.
I knew Olive liked me, but every time she so much as looked at Eliott, I couldn’t control the panic and blind rage that rose up from deep within my chest. This passionate feel- ing drove me crazy sometimes; I loved Olive so much, I felt like I was drowning in her. But at least it was useful in bed, where I felt compelled to claim Olive’s body again and again to prove that her love for me was real.
I knew it was messed up to think this way, but I couldn’t seem to control these emotions. And now I didn’t want to
control them.
After I returned to my senses a little, I rolled over and au- tomatically reached out to scoop Olive into my arms. But I was met with nothing but an empty space.
I opened my eyes with a jolt, only to realize that Olive wasn’t there! I couldn’t tell how long she’d been gone, and her side of the bed was already cold.
I felt like someone had just dumped a bucket of ice water over my head, instantly made cold and disoriented by her ab- sence. I was too stunned to move for a moment before I
yanked off the covers and got out of bed.
I searched every corner of the mansion. The bathroom, the living room, the dining room, the swimming pool on the top floor… But still there was no sign of Olive.
She’d disappeared out of nowhere. I shouted for her so loudly that my voice echoed through the sp*cious house, but I didn’t hear any response.
“Olive!” I panicked as I continued to frantically search the mansion. I shouted until my voice went h*arse, but still to no
avail.
I stalked back to the bedroom on the third floor and searched the room again and again. I could still smell Olive’s perfume on the comforter, but Olive herself was nowhere to be found.
The whole mansion was empty and quiet. I stood alone in our room, staring around me at the small artifacts of our life together, breathing in the remnants of her perfume. I was suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of emptiness, like this room was completely unfamiliar to me.
For a moment, I was so dizzy I almost collapsed. I felt like I was swaying on the edge of a cliff, about to topple down into an endless abyss.
All I wanted was to reach out and feel Olive’s warm hand catching me. She was my last hope. I took a deep breath and smacked my forehead hard with the palm of my hand, but the dizziness only got worse.
I took two steps back, bracing myself on the edge of the dresser, and held my aching head in both hands.
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