Chapter 6 CHAPTER SIX

JULIET

As I opened the door, I found Frank sprawled on the bed, his fingers racing across his laptop keyboard with such intensity that it conveyed his deep focus. The room was bathed in a warm, dim light, creating a cozy atmosphere, while the sheer curtains danced gracefully in the gentle breeze flowing in from the balcony. 

I suppressed the urge to step out onto the balcony and stand there, watching the cloudy sky fill with lightning. I had always loved standing in the rain since I was little, finding comfort in letting it wash away my troubles. But Frank would get mad if I fell ill again, as it would leave the pack without a healer. 

So I walked over to him instead. 

"The chef said you wanted to see me?" I inquired. 

Frank's gaze remained locked on his laptop as he replied, "I wanted to inform you that the chef will be taking over the kitchen from now on." 

I froze, taken aback. 

"What?" 

Something in my voice must have caused Frank to pause. I hated the slight tremble in my words, as it was a telltale sign that I was hurt by how his mother and sister had humiliated me. 

Frank continued to stare at me as he closed his laptop with one hand. "I thought you’d be pleased with my decision. You've been expressing your stress about work for quite some time. This way, you can focus on your job as a healer." 

A frustrated sigh formed in my throat, but I swallowed it back, a mixture of emotions swirling within me.

"Do you not know that this would only make your mother despise me more?" I complained. "She already thinks that I am not fulfilling my role as your wife by not being able to cook your meals properly. Now, she would claim that I manipulated you just to escape housework."

Frank's expression hardened with irritation. "You do not need to worry about my mother. Just focus on your work as a healer, and I'll take care of the rest."

Easier said than done, but I didn't want to prolong this argument. I simply nodded.

"Fine. If you say so."

"Thank you," Frank huffed before returning his attention to his laptop. I could hear him muttering something under his breath as he shifted underneath the covers.

But I said nothing.

I had learned that there was no use arguing with Frank about his family. Whenever I found the courage to tell him how deeply their words hurt me, he always found a way to explain them away. He never called them out. He never asked them to stop. Instead, he offered practical solutions, as though fixing the situation was easier than acknowledging my pain.

After a while, I stopped expecting him to choose my side.

Turning away from him, I headed into the walk-in closet. Tears threatened to blur my vision again, so I closed my eyes and counted to a hundred. Slowly, the tightness in my chest began to ease, and I was able to change into my nightwear and prepare for bed.

When I returned to our bed, Frank's eyes shifted from his laptop to glance at me, and then he did a double take. I slipped under the covers and pulled them over my body and closed my eyes, trying to get some rest to face the stressful day awaiting me.

However, I noticed that Frank's typing had stopped. A part of me was tempted to open my eyes to investigate the reason, but I decided against it. Both of us were currently in a sour mood, so it would be wise to give ourselves some space to cool down.

Tomorrow would surely be better.

The thought had barely settled in my mind before a hand slipped under my nightgown, causing me to stiffen. I moved away from the contact and turned away, hoping that Frank would get the message. But he didn't.

Instead, he readjusted in the bed until he was lying right beside me. He wrapped a hand around my waist to pull me closer and began kissing the side of my neck.

At last, unable to endure the unwanted advances any longer, I opened my eyes and shifted away from him once more.

"Frank, what are you doing?" I asked, my voice more forceful than I intended. 

He furrowed his brow as if my question perplexed him. "What else does it look like I am doing?"

I took in a deep breath to calm myself, thinking of the best way to deal with this situation. Frank had never been an affectionate person, and I often saw the signs before he initiated any form of intimacy. But tonight, he had taken me by surprise with his hot and cold behavior.

And it annoyed me more than I wanted to admit.

"Frank..." I began softly, searching for words that would not spark another argument. "I'm exhausted."

He watched me silently.

"It has been a long day," I continued. "There are still wounded pack members at the clinic, and I'll be back there first thing tomorrow morning. I really need to sleep."

For a brief moment, something flickered across his face.

"I know you want to spend time with me," I said gently, "but not tonight."

I reached for his hand, giving it a small squeeze before letting go.

"You should get some rest too."

He remained motionless, his expression impossible to read. The silence stretched between us until it became almost suffocating. Assuming the conversation was over, I rolled onto my side and pulled the blanket higher over my shoulder. The soft patter of rain against the balcony doors filled the room, accompanied by the occasional rumble of distant thunder. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the steady rhythm, hoping it would quiet the storm inside my chest.

Minutes slipped by.

The room fell completely silent.

Just as sleep began pulling me under, his voice broke through the darkness. "Juliet."

I opened my eyes but did not turn around.

"Hm?"

Another long pause followed.

"So that's it?"

Confusion knitted my brows together. "What do you mean?"

"Is the real reason you don't want me touching you..."The mattress shifted behind me. "...because of Zane?"

My heartbeat stumbled.

Slowly, I turned to face him.

His laptop now sat closed on the bedside table. The warm light from the lamp cast deep shadows across his face, making his expression difficult to read. Yet his eyes remained fixed on mine with an intensity that made my stomach twist.

"I saw the way he looked at you today," he said quietly. "And I saw the way you looked at him."

The accusation settled heavily between us. I parted my lips, but no words came.

Frank let out a humorless laugh before lowering his gaze. "Tell me the truth, Juliet."

When he looked back at me, there was something dark in his gaze.

Anger. Disappointment. Pain

"Are you already yearning for the man who rejected you two years ago?"