CHAPTER 38Aurelia
Aurelia
The honeymoon phase was over. Completely, undeniably over.
The whirlwind of their wedding and the languid, blissful weekend that followed felt like a fading dream. Reality had crept back in on quiet feet, settling between them like a silent barrier neither had the time nor energy to dismantle.
It had only been three weeks.
Aurelia sighed, her fingers tightening around the steering wheel as she navigated through the crowded streets of Joia City.
She was headed home after a short day at Starhaven Manor, having spent a couple of hours that morning finalizing some outstanding details.
Even with the reduced workload, her thoughts were a mess.
Securing new charities after the wedding scandal had been a logistical nightmare. Her public bridal photoshoot made more of an impact than she originally thought, scandalizing the city and closing doors she had counted on for years. The gossip surrounding it had yet to die down.
But somehow…she pulled it off.
Tapping into her old contacts at District Child Welfare Services, she managed to secure their involvement.
Inspired by Levi, she had secured a commitment from the National Dyslexia Foundation.
And in a final, almost laughable twist of fate, she stumbled across Glow Sticks for the Elderly, an organization dedicated to bringing rave culture into retirement homes.
It was obscure and delightfully offbeat, and she had no doubt Eleanor would have adored the chaotic brilliance of it.
Of course, their participation came with a hidden cost: a full-fledged “mini-rave” during the reception.
She had agreed without hesitation. Now, she had to figure out how to turn glow sticks into something elegant enough for the Harvest Charity Ball.
Wrapping them in gauzy, jeweled fabric to refract the light into dazzling prisms seemed like a fitting compromise.
Against all odds, the rest of the planning had fallen into place.
The final menu tasting was scheduled. The décor was locked in and featured bold fall colors intertwined with metallics and diamond accents.
Bronze, copper, deep reds and purples, all softened by enchanted forest elements: faux trees, cascading vines, and whimsical lighting.
Guests had been encouraged to embrace the theme and attend in formal wear with a “hint of magic.” It was the closest thing to a fairytale she could conjure…
and she needed a little magic right now.
The one person who remained conspicuously absent from her preparations was Selene.
She was always just out of reach—leaving rooms as Aurelia entered them, conveniently “in meetings” every time she called.
The sting of that cold shoulder hurt more than she wanted to admit, but she meant what she had said the last time they spoke.
The ball was in Selene’s court now.
Her thoughts drifted to Levi, and the familiar ache settled in her chest. She needed to talk to him about the event, about everything, but they hadn’t found a spare minute to discuss the details.
She wanted to extend the invitation to his friends, too, but every time she planned to bring it up, the moment passed unspoken.
Outside of work, the honeymoon was…over.
She began to understand why Levi’s friends had been so concerned about him. Levi was married to his job, and she felt like a distant second. They’d barely seen each other lately.
Monday, he missed dinner entirely, caught up in some crisis at work. Tuesday was her self-defense class—a much-needed distraction—but by the time she came home, he was still at the office. Wednesday and Thursday followed the same pattern.
She had even tried to surprise him with lunch earlier in the week, bringing takeout to his office. It turned into something far more heated, and while he had been grateful, his exhaustion had been written all over his face.
Tonight, when he texted again to say he wouldn’t be home for dinner, she refused to let the loneliness sink its claws into her. Instead, she took a risk and asked Adelen, the new student she had met in her self-defense class, to grab a quick bite afterward. To her surprise, the woman had agreed.
Maybe I should text her again…see if she’s free this weekend. It seems like I’ll have plenty of time to myself again.
The thought was meant to be dismissive, but it stung anyway.
Her mind spun in circles. Was Levi already tired of her and planning to leave? Had he realized, like every other man before him, that she was boring once the shine wore off?
Except for Kyle. I had to run from him.
The car felt stifling as old doubts crept in, uninvited and unwelcome.
This time was supposed to be different.
Levi was different.
And yet, every night this week, and so many others before, he came home long after dinner, looking worn down to his soul. A quick kiss on the cheek, a plate of reheated food, and then a long shower that seemed more about washing off his stress than relaxing.
She flushed, her face heating at the memory of that one night when she couldn’t stand the distance anymore and slipped into the shower with him. For a short while, it felt like they’d found their way back to each other.
But even that moment felt like a lifetime ago.
Aurelia slipped quietly into the bathroom, her bare feet silent against the cool tiles. She paused for a moment, drinking in the sight of those long, athletic legs braced apart, and toned muscles taut beneath golden skin.
His back was to her, broad shoulders hunched as his strong arms pressed against the shower wall.
The image permanently emblazoned on his back was stark and dangerous…
and as tempting as forbidden fruit. His head bowed under the warm cascade of water; his eyes shut like the weight of the world rested on his shoulders.
He hadn’t noticed her yet.
With a slow, deliberate movement, she undressed, letting her clothes fall silently to the floor. The shower door creaked faintly as she opened it, a whisper of cool air rushing inside. That’s when he felt her.
Levi stiffened for a heartbeat before the powerful lines of his back flexed with tension as he shifted his body to face her.
His forest eyes, dark and unreadable, glided over her exposed skin with an intensity that made her pulse trip.
Every inch of her was devoured by that heated gaze, his silence louder than any words.
Then she crossed the distance between them, rising to press her mouth against his in a slow, torturous kiss.
Whatever shadows had haunted his mind were obliterated in that instant.
Without hesitation, his hands found her thighs, gripping them with a strength that made her gasp as he lifted her effortlessly. Her back met the cool tile with a soft thud, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. There was no preamble, no gentle exploration—no time wasted.
With a low, guttural sound, Levi drove into her, his hips snapping forward with a punishing rhythm. She cried out, the sound swallowed by the roar of the water and his hungry mouth covering hers again.
There was nothing soft about this. Nothing careful.
It was primal.
Every thrust was deep, relentless, hitting that perfect spot again and again until the pressure inside her wound impossibly tight. Her fingers dug into his slick shoulders, her head falling back against the shimmering tiled wall as the pleasure overwhelmed her, shattering her apart in his arms.
He followed her over the edge moments later, his groan vibrating against her throat, his entire body tensing before he collapsed against her, breathless.
For a long moment, they simply stayed there, their chests heaving, the water cascading over their tangled bodies.
And then, with a tenderness that stole her breath all over again, Levi gently set her down.
In silence, his hands moved over her, washing her with such care it felt like worship. His fingers lingered over every curve, every sensitive spot, tracing along her skin as if to memorize her by touch alone.
He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to.
In that quiet act, she heard everything he couldn’t bring himself to say.
Everything she needed to know.
Swallowing hard, Aurelia forced herself to shake off the doubt and unease, to focus on the road ahead. Whatever it was Levi had been battling this week, she didn’t know, though it wasn’t for lack of trying.
Every time she had asked, he had brushed her off with a quiet, tired smile and the same maddening reply: I don’t want to burden you with my problems.
That answer gnawed at her.
But what gnawed at her more was the slow, creeping understanding that learning to live with a stranger—even one who could kiss her into oblivion and touch her like she was something precious—was far harder than she anticipated.
The not-so-cute nuances were piling up.
The perpetually sticky toothpaste tube they now shared, no matter how many times she wiped it clean. Like clockwork, she would find it smeared again after he used it, the faintest reminder that even in their most mundane routines, they moved out of sync.
Or how he turned the neatly made bed into a mangled mess every night, sheets and blankets untucked and tangled because it’s too restrictive , as he put it.
And she didn’t want to think about the dishwasher again.
He would run it half-full, and yet somehow still leave a pile of dishes in the sink that clearly could have fit. It was like a strategic puzzle he refused to play.
It’s an adjustment period ; she told herself for the hundredth time. Every couple goes through this .
And yet…
That old, familiar fear—the one that lived directly beneath her skin—whispered louder with each passing day. He’s already bored with me, like everyone else was.
She banished the negative thoughts away as she turned into the driveway, exhaling a long breath of relief. It was finally Friday.
A spark of determination lit inside her.
If Levi wasn’t going to make time to escape work for her, she would give him every reason to want to, using the only thing that he couldn’t say no to.
A slow, devilish grin curved her lips as she exited the car and went inside.
It was time to lure her husband home.