“What are you doing?” I asked as he walked back to me.

    Still without answering, he reached up and gently tucked the rose behind my ear, his fingers brushing against my cheek. “Dance

    with me.”

    I stared at him in shock. “What?”

    “There’s music inside. We can hear it perfectly well out here.” He eld out his hand. “Dance with me, E.”

    I looked down at his outstretched hand, then back up at his face. This felt like a trap somehow. Another performance, perhaps for cameras hidden in the bushes.

    But if there were no cameras… It didn’t make a damn lick of sense. Alexander wasn’t romantic with me when he didn’t have to ollibe. /li/ol

    “Why?”

    “Because I want to.” Alexander stepped closer. “And we haven’t had a chance to dance all night.”

    My heart did something stupid and fluttery at his words, even though I knew better. This was just Alexander being charming, probably trying to make up for hurting my feelings earlier. But Godless help me, I wanted to believe it was real.

    “Okay,” I said softly, cing my hand in his.

    Alexander pulled me closer, one hand settling on my waist while the other held mine. The music from inside the ballroom drifted out through the open doors, slow and romantic and perfect for a gentle waltz.

    We moved together slowly, and I was surprised by how well we fit. Alexander was a good dancer, leading me through the steps with easy confidence. The rose in my hair released its sweet scent every time I moved, and the moonlight turned everything silver as if the Moon Goddess herself were shining her light upon us.

    For a few minutes, I let myself pretend this was real. That Alexander had sought me out because he missed me, not because he felt guilty about something he’d said. That the tender way he was looking at me meant something more than political convenience.

    I had so many questions I wanted to ask. About the contract. About whether he’d ever consider making our marriage real instead of just legal. About whether there was any chance he might actually fall in love with me someday.

    But I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t want to ruin this moment, this brief glimpse into the fantasy I’d created earlier for those women at the party. The story where Alexander was a devoted husband who brought me flowers and whispered sweet things in

    my ear.

    Maybe it was pathetic, but I wanted to live in that fairy tale for just few more minutes. Even if it would disappear the second we got homeb. /b

    And so I simply closed my eyes and let my head rest against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart beneath my ear, His arms tightened around me, holding me closer, and for a moment I could almost believe that this meant something to him.

    We swayed together in silence, no longer really dancing but just holding each other under the moonlight.

    This was what I’d always dreamed marriage would be like. Quiet moments, tender touches that meant everything and nothing all at once. The feeling of being safe in the arms of someone who loved me.

    Eventually, however, just as all things must–it came to an end. The music slowed, then stopped, and our feet stopped swaying across the stone pavers.

    “We should go,” Alexander said, stepping back and checking his watch. “It’ste.”

    I nodded, honestly exhausted myself. The fantasy had been nice to a little while, at least. All in all, it had been a good night. Even if everything was take, I had a feeling I would look back on this evening fondly.

    +15 BCNUS

    When we finally pulled into the mansion’s driveway about an hourter, Alexander helped me out of the car like the perfect gentleman he’d been all evening. But as we walked through the front door, I could already feel him pulling away.

    “You should go to bed,” he said, leaving me at the foot of the stairs “I have some business to handle.”

    And just like that, he turned and left me standing there, and the fantasy shattered the moment the clock struck midnight.