Careless Whisper [UNDER REVISION]

20

CHAPTER 20 - This is love, right?

Samantha's POV

I never imagined I would cry in front of her. Yet there she was, holding me close, her warmth seeping into the cracks I'd worked so hard to hide.

She comforted me, and for once, I allowed myself to lean into it, to feel the weight of her embrace. It was like she pulled me out from a dark, endless void and steadied me with her quiet strength.

I'm deeply grateful she did, that she let her guard down just enough for me to feel her there, truly and honestly.

In her embrace, I felt safe and protected, as if the world and all its chaos couldn't reach me.

It was a warmth I didn't know I needed until now, a feeling I didn't even know existed for me.

With that single act of kindness, I realized something so profound that it sent a shiver down my spine-she is my safe haven.

Yet, even with this newfound clarity, there's a lingering sense of doubt within me.

I'm not entirely certain about these feelings that seem to be surfacing every time I'm around her.

Is this admiration, something innocent and pure?

Or is it love, something deeper, more consuming?

Whatever it is, I feel a strange thrill in knowing it's her that I'm falling for, her that makes my heart race and my thoughts spiral.

But just as I start to accept these feelings, she pulls away, slipping back into her cold, distant self.

The warmth that was once so present is gone, like a candle snuffed out, and in its place is a chill that feels almost like a warning.

The way her expression shifted the moment she stepped into this house. Rhe way her eyes turned distant, as if closing off that vulnerable part of herself-it's like we've returned to the beginning.

Back to that moment when she was so detached, so cold, and every bit the stranger I had first met.

I'm worried now, my heart unsettled, but I don't want to let this spiral. I don't want to overthink every glance, every word, every moment of silence.

I can't afford to lose myself to paranoia or to doubt, to let my mind run wild with questions I may never get answers to.

/////

"Lemme just say this feeling, m'kay? You are gorgeous, Samantha." My face flushed as I received such a compliment from my own inspiration in life.

Currently, I'm standing in front of the hotel, facing the most beautiful woman I admired as a kid: Adrianna Evans, a Hollywood star and former business partner of my father.

"It is an honor to be complimented by the star of Hollywood herself. I hope you enjoy your stay in our hotel and have fun discovering new things in this wonderful country." Leading the way inside, we walked past the doorman and the counter, heading straight to the VVIP room on the second floor.

"Good evening, madames." My heart skipped a beat as Jezreel and I crossed paths in the elevator. My face flushed when I remembered that we had slept together earlier.