A Vow of Deception, A Vow of Revenge novel Chapter 72

Until now, Winona had never given it much thought. She'd always assumed Elvis was angry because Tyson kept pestering the Rogers family's fiancée.

But now, watching Elvis set the ointment he'd bought just for her on the table, she couldn't shake the feeling that things weren't quite so simple.

Did this mean...?

A tangled mix of emotions churned inside her.

She'd never thought of herself as someone everyone loved, but after all the attention Elvis had given her recently—even she, slow as she sometimes was, couldn't help but notice the signs.

Was he really only looking out for her because she was his cousin's fiancée? Was that why he stepped in to protect her, why he was always there when she needed help?

A thought flashed through her mind—one so unexpected it made her heart lurch: If only Elvis were the one she was meant to marry.

The idea startled her so much she shook her head, as if to physically dislodge it. Nonsense, she scolded herself, pushing the thought away.

Something deep inside her seemed to bloom for a split second, but she stamped it out before it could take root.

She couldn't let herself think like this. It wouldn't be fair—to her actual fiancé, Jonah, or to herself.

Just then, her phone buzzed with an incoming video call. Winona glanced at the screen and saw it was her best friend, Veronica.

When she picked up, Veronica's bright, playful face filled the screen.

"Oh my god, babe, Nona! I swear, I haven't seen you in years and you look kind of worn out. What happened?"

Veronica's exaggerated tone didn't quite hide her genuine concern.

Winona smiled, brushing it off. "Please, I just got out of the shower. Don't I look gorgeous?"

Veronica let the subject drop, grinning as she changed gears. "You're coming back to the city the day after tomorrow, right? Guess what—I've got your homecoming party all set. Just waiting for the star to arrive!"

"Yeah? Well, if this party isn't epic, I'll never let you live it down."

"Oh, come on, you know you'd miss me too much."

Winona started to apply her face mask.

For the first time all night, she felt strangely calm.

This was for the best.

She'd let her imagination run wild for nothing. If Elvis already had a girlfriend, there was no way he would ever think of her that way.

He really was only looking out for his cousin's fiancée.

She needed to get her head on straight, too. This was just like spending time with the big brother from a relative's family—nothing more.

"Nona... did you put your face mask on upside down?" Veronica asked, her tone tinged with amusement.

Startled, Winona glanced at her reflection and realized the mask's eye holes were sitting squarely over her mouth.

Flustered, she peeled it off and cleared her throat. "Oops, that was... not on purpose."