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He kept playing with my hair and didn’t say it back. I swallowed the disappointment.
Later, when I heard the soft sounds of his snores, I sat up in bed and made sure he was in a deep sleep before walking out of the room and shutting the door behind me.
I walked soundly at first and then picked up the pace. I went to Theo’s room and knocked on it.
Theo opened the door, wearing only a pair of boxers, his hair in disarray, and his abs were on display.
I couldn’t help but notice how he looked like a teenage version of Castle.
“Took you long enough,” He said sleepily, stifling a yawn, and then he shoved the journal into my hand. “Do not show this to anyone. After reading it, you need to return the journal back to me.”
I nodded, “Got it.”
I hid the journal in my robe and tiptoed back to my room.
I stepped into the room and my breath hitched in my throat when I saw the silhouette of Castle, who was now seated upright in bed. I couldn’t see the expressions on his face in the darkness, but knew he was watching me.
“Where did you go, Millie?” He asked me silently.
“I was just feeling a little sick, so took a walk outside in the hallways.” The lie rolled from my tongue.
A few seconds passed before he raised his hand towards me. “Come back to me.”
I walked back to him and slipped into bed before quickly retrieving the journal and hiding it near the dresser.
Castle snuggled to my body, “I don’t like it…when…when you leave my side,” He whispered.
“I’m not going anywhere, baby. I’ll always be here with you.”
His hold tightened over my body. The grip was so firm and bruising that I had to ask him to loosen his fingers over me. It was like Castle was making sure I didn’t leave the bed again.
I couldn’t wait to wake up in the morning and read the journal.
I needed to be completely alone to do it.
TWENTY-FOUR
I couldn’t getmuch sleep that night as I kept tossing and turning in bed.
My mind was preoccupied with what I would find in the journal that Theo had given me.
Early in the morning, when Castle was still sleeping, I climbed out of bed and picked up the journal that I’d kept hidden. The maids wouldn’t come to disturb me for at least another hour, and Castle continued to be in dreamland. I knew he wouldn’t wake up as long as I stayed beside him.
This was my chance.
If he found me gone from bed, he would wake up and stir up trouble.
I’d gone for an early morning walk last week, making sure that Castle was sleeping, but thirty minutes later when I came back inside the mansion, he was screaming and running around throwing the doors open looking for me.
After that day, I knew not to sneak out. He constantly sought physical contact and finding the bedside empty made him very upset.
He draped his arm over my waist. I traced my fingers over his biceps as I opened the journal to read.
The journal was ancient, having been passed down from generations, and some pages were filled with entries by various ancestors of the family.
Mostly male.
I figured they were all written by the firstborn members of the family.