chapter twenty-nine

Keith woke with a pounding headache, his temples throbbing with each beat of his heart. He groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead as the harsh morning light filtered through his bedroom curtains. His mouth was dry, his body sluggish—clear signs of a night drowned in too much wine.

He exhaled deeply and tried to recollect what had happened the night before. Flashes of the garden came to him—the cold air, the scent of flowers in bloom, the warmth of another body close to his. And then—Selene. Her violet eyes, wide with surprise. Her soft lips beneath his.

Keith shot up in bed, his breath catching in his throat.

"I kissed her."

A wave of disbelief crashed over him as he buried his face in his hands. How could he have done that? Their relationship had just started to improve, and now he had thrown everything into chaos.

He let out a frustrated groan and fell back onto the pillows, staring at the ceiling. It had to be the alcohol. That, and the heartbreak that still clawed at his chest. Evangeline—his Evangeline—had refused to see him. And in his moment of weakness, he had turned to Selene.

"It didn't mean anything."

He repeated the thought, trying to convince himself. It had been a mistake—a drunken, impulsive mistake. Nothing more.

---

Selene spent most of the day in a daze. Even in class, she found herself absentmindedly tracing patterns on her parchment, barely registering the lecture. Arabella had nudged her more than once, whispering sharp reminders to focus, but her mind refused to obey.

The memory of last night lingered. The heat of Keith's lips, the way he had held her as though she was something precious. And worse—how she had responded.

She clenched her hands beneath the desk, willing herself to forget it.

"It was nothing. It was the alcohol. He was drunk."

Still, a part of her whispered that Keith had looked at her differently last night. That for a moment, it hadn't just been about wine and heartbreak.

She shook the thought away.

---

When lunchtime arrived, Selene walked into the Great Hall with Arabella, the chatter and clinking of utensils filling the vast space. Just as they stepped inside, she felt the sudden impact of another body.

"Ah, I'm sorry—"

She looked up, meeting the familiar golden gaze of Keith Everhart.

His expression was unreadable for a brief second before he straightened, quickly composing himself.

Arabella arched a brow, glancing between them. Selene gave her a reassuring nod. "Go ahead and join the others. I'll be there soon."

With a curious glance, Arabella hesitated before walking away.

Selene turned to Keith. "Do you remember what happened last night?"

For a moment, something flickered in his eyes, hesitation, perhaps, but then he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not much, to be honest. I must have blacked out." He let out a short, forced laugh. "I drank too much. I barely remember anything."

Selene felt something tighten in her chest.

He didn't remember?

Keith frowned slightly, studying her face. "Did I… do something?"

Selene hesitated for a fraction of a second before shaking her head. "No, not really."

A wave of relief passed over Keith's face. "Good. I'd hate to think I did anything… costly."

Selene forced a small smile, nodding. "Yes. It's probably for the best that nothing happened."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Keith shifted on his feet, looking as if he wanted to say something more, but then he simply exhaled. "I should get going. See you later, Selene."

She nodded again, watching as he turned and walked away.

Selene's chest felt strangely heavy.

It shouldn't have mattered. It was better this way, wasn't it?

She didn't want to be romantically entangled with Keith in this life. She had promised herself she wouldn't make the same mistakes.

And yet…

She exhaled slowly before turning on her heel to join her friends.