Filed To Story: The Broken-Hearted She and The Icy He Book PDF Free
Her hospital gown… was torn.
Had she ripped it herself while being all bold and shameless earlier?
Could she really be that strong?
But if she hadn’t torn it, there was only one other possibility-and she refused to believe that.
James hated her. There was no way he’d want to rip her clothes.
Her best guess was that after she’d grabbed him and kissed him, he’d fought to get away-so forcefully that the gown had been accidentally torn.
She understood. She really did.
When Lily lowered her gaze to look at her gown, James’ eyes also fell upon her.
The loose, soft hospital gown had already been shredded in his hands just moments ago, fluttering like a butterfly as it fell apart.
Now, only tattered bits of fabric clung to her body, offering barely any coverage.
What little did remain hung like/wisps of gauze over undulating hills-half-hidden, half-revealed-casting an ethereal, breathtaking glow over the entire scene.
Her skin was almost unnaturally pale.
She obviously hadn’t tied her hair up before sleeping.
Her long black hate spilled messily over her shoulders, reaching all the way to her waist. Then contrast of inky black against such pale white created a dangerous allure.
She looked like some newly born forest spirit-pure and enticing-pulling at the strings of his heart.
Or perhaps a siren, freshly turned human, whose innocence and seduction blurred together frizzying effect.
The hospital room’s window hadn’t been shut completely.
Cool night air drifted in, stirring the curtains and bringing a light chill-but to James, it suddenly felt like the temperature in the room had skyrocketed.
His breath turned hot, his mouth dry.
Lily, having realized her indecent state, quickly yanked the blanket over herself
James, too, turned his head sharply away, as if burned.
But the image-the stark white skin tangled in dark silk-played in his mind like a cursed melody on loop
Everything else in the world faded into nothing. There was only that haunting contrast of black and white, seared into his memory, gripping his heart with unforgiving strength.
It was inescapable. Unforgettable.
And it only made him hate himself more-for being weak, for losing control.
Lily, now completely wrapped in her blanket, had also noticed something else-those marks near her collarbone, spreading down her chest.
She didn’t want to admit it, but they looked an awful lot like… hickeys.
There were only two people in this room.
Those marks weren’t self-inflicted.
Which meant they had to be from James.
She’d already kissed him-wasn’t that enough of a nightmare for him? There was no way he’d kiss her back. He probably hated her more than ever now.
She figured the marks must’ve been accidental-left behind during his struggle to escape her advances.
Feeling more humiliated than ever/she pulled the blanket tighter around herself, wishing she could just crawl under the bed and grow a new, purer version of herself next spring.
Clearing her throat in a quiet, mouse-like voice, she whispered in shame, “What I did just now… really crossed the line. I seriously thought you were someone else. I’ve already forgotten everything that happened. James, you should forget it too.”
“Mm.”
Her long black hair spilled messily over her shoulders, reaching all the way to her waist. That contrast of inky black against such pale white created a dangerous allure.
She looked like some newly born forest spirit-pure and enticing-pulling at the strings of his heart.
Or perhaps a siren, freshly turned human, whose innocence and seduction blurred together to dizzying effect.
The hospital room’s window hadn’t been shut completely.
Cool night air drifted in, stirring the curtains and bringing a light chill-but to James, it suddenly felt like the temperature in the room had skyrocketed.
His breath turned hot, his mouth dry.
Lily, having realized her indecent state, quickly yanked the blanket over herself.
James, too, turned his head sharply away, as if burned.
But the image-the stark white skin tangled in dark silk-played in his mind like a cursed melody on loop..
Everything else in the world faded into nothing. There was only that haunting contrast of black and white, seared into his memory, gripping his heart with unforgiving strength.
It was inescapable. Unforgettable.
And it only made him hate himself more-for being weak, for losing control.
Lily, now completely wrapped in her blanket, had also noticed something else-those marks near her collarbone, spreading down her chest.
She didn’t want to admit it, but they looked an awful lot like… hickeys.
There were only two people in this room.
Those marks weren’t self-inflicted.
Which meant they had to be from James.
She’d already kissed him-wasn’t that enough of a nightmare for him? There was no way he’d kiss her back. He probably hated her more than ever now.
She figured the marks must’ve been accidental-left behind during his struggle to escape her advances.
Feeling more humiliated than ever/she pulled the blanket tighter around herself, wishing she could just crawl under the bed and grow a new, purer version of herself next spring.
Clearing her throat in a quiet, mouse-like voice, she whispered in shame, “What I did just now ally crossed the line. I seriously thought you were someone else, I’ve already forgotten everything happened. James, you should forget it too.”
“Mm.”
His voice was cold and detached, but his eyes were brimming with a flood of self-disgust and pain.
He didn’t want to get tangled up with Lily. Even if some images from tonight clung to his mind like shadows-he had no intention of ever revisiting them.
He couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud.
But he had been raised to believe that if you made a mistake, you didn’t hide from it. You faced it. Took responsibility.
After a long silence, he finally said stiffly, “Lily, the gown you’re wearing… I tore it. I also touched you. Both of us already have someone in our hearts. This marriage can’t continue-but I’ll compensate you.”
He paused, then continued in the same chilly tone. “You prefer emeralds, right? Or diamonds? Or bracelets like the one on your wrist? I have several sets of jewelry. I can give you one. Consider it a wedding gift-for you and your classmate.”
The jewelry he was referring to-there was no doubt it had been given to him by the elders of his family. Gifts meant for his future wife.
The Luke family was extraordinarily wealthy. Any jewelry passed down through the generations would be priceless.
Lily already felt undeserving when Grace and Nancy gave her that bracelet. What happened tonight was clearly her fault-if anything, James was the one who deserved an apology. There was no way she’d accept compensation from him.
Afraid he might actually go so far as to have some jewelry delivered to her, she rushed to speak up. “Tonight, I was the one who couldn’t tell dream from reality and crossed the line. You really don’t need to give me anything. Technically, I should be the one compensating you. But since you don’t seem short on money, I’ll skip that part.”
“Mm.”
James knew she wasn’t the kind of girl who liked taking advantage of others. Even if he insisted, she wouldn’t accept the jewelry.
He’d decide for himself which set to give her.
Emeralds were a bit too mature-she was young, and that shade might not suit her. Her fair skin would go beautifully with the red diamond set he’d kept in storage. Or perhaps the pink diamonds-those were lighter, more youthful. The earrings, necklace, and bracelet were all set with stones of impeccable cut and size.
He’d give her both sets. A double blessing-perfect for celebrating her marriage to her classmate. A wish for a happy union and a healthy child.
“Get some rest.”
Once he’d made up his mind, James turned and headed for the foldout bed.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.