The Contracted Ever After (Cordelia and Ronan)

Chapter 524

Cordelia had lost. She had lost spectacularly, thoroughly trounced by Ronan's charms, and she was

ready to slap herself for being so weak. Frantically, she tried to pull on her clothes, but her skin was

sticky, and nothing would fit right.

Her bra strap had somehow fastened itself, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught Ronan helping

her.

"I've got to go home tonight. Victoria’s waiting for me, and besides, Janice isn't too fond of me,"

Cordelia said.

"Mhm," he grunted in response.

"Why don't you find someone else?" she asked him.

Ronan stood behind her, fidgeting with her clothes. She struggled into her sweater, and with a bit of a

tug from him, it finally settled over her frame.

Once she was all set, Cordelia fished her hair out from under her sweater and flung it back with a flick

of her head.

Ronan, standing behind her, paused for a moment, taken aback. "Who the hell knows why I fell for

you? All drama and no appreciation!" Ronan gritted out.

Cordelia bit her lip and stayed silent.

"Got a hairdryer?" she asked, turning to him.

"You never used to blow-dry your hair," he said softly, a hint of irritation in his voice.

The thought of their everyday life together, her little habit of not air-drying her hair, the nights they had

shared, and then the years they had missed – it all made Ronan restless. When he had met her, he

was just thirty, in his prime. Now he was thirty-six, approaching forty, and she was twenty-eight. He had

asked himself time and again why he didn't just find someone else. She had so many bad habits and

showed him so little appreciation, yet whenever a beautiful woman approached him, he couldn't help

but compare her to Cordelia. None had her ambition, her determination to follow her dreams even if it

meant leaving everything else behind. Slowly, Cordelia had become the standard by which he

measured everyone else, an insurmountable peak.

"I need to, you know, because it's getting..." Cordelia tried to explain, wanting to say it was snowing Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

heavily outside, and it was cold.

"Don't you dare leave!" he said hoarsely, his voice deep and raspy, as if the very thought of her leaving

would devour her.

"But Victoria is..."

"Let her wait."

"And Janice..."

"Is there not a single reason for you to stay? All you've got are damn reasons to leave." Ronan's voice

rose in frustration, clearly annoyed with her excuses.

"There's a reason," she said softly.

"What?" he demanded.

"Callum!"

"Stay here!" Ronan bit back a growl, his face darkening before he stormed out the door.

Cordelia had a feeling she wasn't going anywhere today. After a moment's thought, she took out her

phone and sent Victoria a message on Messenger. [I might not make it back tonight. I just took a

shower, and my hair's still wet. Plus, I kind of want to spend the night with Callum. You okay being

alone in my room?]

It wasn't long before Victoria's reply popped up. [Go ahead, choose him over your friend. I just got here,

and you're ditching me for his bed? Drop the act, and just admit you're cozying up with Mr. Evans.

You're all over him when I'm around; I can only imagine how it is when I'm not.]

[Stop making stuff up.]

[Whatever. If you're not coming, I'll enjoy myself. I'll check out the campus cuties, the handsome dudes.

I'll eat whatever I want and binge-watch shows on your computer into the wee hours! A vacation is a

vacation, no matter where I am.]

[Fine, but don't lose my research papers and thesis, okay?] After a previous scare, Cordelia was much

more cautious, and always backed up her work by emailing it to herself. She knew Victoria wouldn't

mess up, but a reminder never hurt.

[Relax, I'm on it,] Victoria assured her.

Cordelia lingered in the room for a while longer, and then her phone suddenly rang again.