Page 150 of Code of Heart

“When he moved into my house, it was…surprisingly easy. Weird, at first, but he made it easy. Even sharing a bed wasn’t hard.” Her cheeks flushed as she admitted, “We were intimate right away. I initiated it—on our wedding night. And it was…” She exhaled, her voice lowering. “It was like fireworks. Every. Time. And despite that, he never pushed for more than I could give. But after the hotel…after the kidnapping…we both made mistakes. And ever since, he’s been different.”

Lord, this is hard. Aurelia fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat.

“He’s sleeping in the guest room. He hasn’t touched me, hasn’t evenlookedat me like he used to. He hugs me, he kisses me…butthat’s it.” Her throat tightened. “And I hate how much it bothers me.”

There. She had said it.Finally.

“I don’t know what to do,” she whispered. “I get it—I was hurt. He’s giving me space. But it’s like there’s this wall between us now that I forced to be built, and I don’t know how to break it down. And I hate that I sound so—soneedyright now.” She bit her lip hard, fighting the sting of tears.

Estrella was quiet for a long moment, then asked gently, “Have you told him any of this?”

Aurelia shook her head. “No. I don’t know how to bring it up. I don’t want him to think I’m accusing him of not trying hard enough…or worse, that I’m angry with him for respecting my space.”

Estrella’s lips curved, a sad kind of understanding settling over her face. “My dear, there is no perfect script for conversations like this. They’re uncomfortable by nature. But the longer you avoid it, the more it festers. That’s why you’re here, telling me when you should be saying these words tohim.”

The truth of that hit hard.

Estrella leaned forward, eyes unwavering. “Tell me, what haveyoudone to fix things with Levi?”

The question hit like a slap.

Nothing, that cruel, honest little voice whispered inside.You’ve done nothing.

Aurelia’s stomach turned as the truth washed over her. “I…I haven’t done anything,” she admitted, her voice cracking. “I’ve been so focused on howIfelt, I didn’t stop to think about how he must feel. I…I’m doing it again, aren’t I?”

Estrella’s expression softened, but her words didn’t let her off the hook. “Put yourself in his shoes. You demanded a divorce without discussion. You gave back your rings. If the roles werereversed…would you feel safe to just pick up where things left off?”

Aurelia dropped her gaze, cheeks burning with shame.

“And ask yourself,” Estrella said quietly, “why does the lack of intimacy matter more to you right now than rebuilding the foundation of your marriage?”

The air left Aurelia’s lungs. That was it—that was the question she had been running from.

You know whythat inner voice whispered again.

Estrella reached over and took her hand, squeezing it gently. “Find the answer to that, and you’ll know what to do next. Until then…stop punishing yourself. And stop punishing him by keeping this all bottled up.”

She gave her hand one last pat and rose to her feet. “Now…let’s eat. You’ll need your strength.”

After lunch with Estrella, Aurelia couldn’t bring herself to go straight home. Her heart felt too full, her thoughts too heavy to be confined within four familiar walls.

Instead, she found herself wandering downtown Joia City, a vibrant and lively stretch teeming with small artisan shops, eclectic cafés, and bustling sidewalks. It was the perfect place to get lost for a while, to breathe in the scent of roasted coffee and freshly baked bread, to let the cheerful hum of strangers become the backdrop to her spiraling thoughts.

She stopped in front of a quaint boutique, her reflection staring back at her through the glass. She didn’t see the woman in the window. Not really.

She saw Levi.

Levi, who had waited on her hand and foot after everything. Who learned how to care for her without being asked and without complaint.

He had cooked for her. Cleaned the house. Done the laundry, despite his clear inexperience. He had even handled the groceries without the luxury of the apps he normally relied on, all while Neuronix was in shambles.

He had made sure their friends came over, filling the house with laughter and easy conversation because he knew she needed it—knew she couldn’t ask for it herself.

He found ways to plan gentle, low-impact date nights where they simply talked. No pressure. No expectations other than being together.

He never once crossed a line she wasn’t ready for.

The affection she alleged was missing…had never been missing at all. It just hadn’t looked like the dramatic, sweeping romance she had convinced herself she wanted.