Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One novel Chapter 204

Chapter 204: Feeling Guilty

Hailee’s POV

I didn’t sleep that night.

No matter how tightly I shut my eyes, the darkness wasn’t kind enough to take me. Every time I tried to rest, the memory of what happened came rushing back.

My stomach twisted each time I thought about it.

He heard everything. Every sound. Every word. Every part of me that should have stayed private.

By dawn, I was still sitting by the window, my hair messy, my body wrapped in a robe I hadn’t bothered to tie properly. The world outside was quiet—too quiet. I could hear the faint chirping of birds, the soft rustle of the wind. It felt unfair that the world could sound so peaceful when I was falling apart inside.

I had called him four times. Texted twice. Each time, it went straight to voicemail. I even typed out a long message explaining that it wasn’t what he thought—that it just happened, that I didn’t plan it, that I didn’t mean to hurt him—but I never sent it. Because no matter how I tried to shape the words, they all sounded like lies.

The truth was, I had wanted it.

I had wanted Callum.

And that truth was what hurt most of all.

When the first light of morning crept into the room, I stood up and caught my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were puffy and red. My face pale. I looked like someone else—someone guilty, confused, and lost.

A soft knock came at the door.

"Hailee?" Callum’s voice. Low, calm, careful.

I swallowed hard and forced my voice to sound steady. "Come in."

The door opened slowly, and he stepped inside, dressed neatly as if nothing had happened. His eyes found me instantly, scanning my face, my messy hair, and the robe slipping off one shoulder.

"You didn’t sleep," he said quietly. It wasn’t a question.

I shook my head. "No."

He hesitated for a moment, then came closer. "You’ve been crying."

I looked away, pretending to straighten the robe. "I’m fine."

"You’re not," he said softly. "Talk to me."

I wanted to. I really did. But the words stuck like thorns in my throat. How was I supposed to tell him that I’d been in his arms one minute and breaking another man’s heart the next?

So I forced a small smile instead. "I just didn’t rest well. That’s all."

He studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he nodded slowly, as if choosing to believe my lie. "Breakfast will be ready soon," he said. "Join me when you can."

When he left, I sank onto the edge of the bed, burying my face in my hands.

His tone had been gentle, calm, even understanding—but I could feel it. The distance. The way something between us had shifted overnight.

And maybe it wasn’t just him. Maybe it was me.

The memory of Nathan haunted me. He didn’t deserve this. None of it.

A tear slid down my cheek before I could stop it.

"What have I done?" I whispered to the empty room.

The guilt sat heavy in my chest, heavier than anything I’d ever felt. Callum might have my body, but my heart was split—torn between men who didn’t deserve the mess I had become.

I stared at my phone one last time. No new messages. No missed calls.

Just silence.

And somehow, that silence hurt worse than anything Nathan could have said. I wanted him to call me, to yell at me, to scream at me—it was better than this silence.

By the time the clock struck eight, I forced myself to get up. My body felt heavy, every step like I was walking through mud. I took my bath, moved to the closet, picked the first simple dress I saw, and slipped it on without even caring how it looked. My fingers trembled slightly as I brushed through my tangled hair and tied it back.

When I glanced at the mirror again, I didn’t look much better—but at least I looked... put together. Barely.

I needed to see the boys.

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