Page 37 of Smut Lovers

Chapter Seven

Wren

I wake to an incessant buzzing beside me, the sound cutting through the remnants of sleep like a knife.

My eyes flutter open, and I squint against the morning light streaming through the window.

Confused and disoriented, I glance around the unfamiliar room, my heart still racing from the events of last night.

The buzzing persists, and I turn my head to see Zane's phone vibrating on the bedside table. With a groggy sigh, I reach over to turn it off, my fingers brushing against the cool surface of the device. But as I swipe to silence it, a notification pops up on the screen, and my heart drops.

A nude picture of a woman fills the display, her body beautifully lit and posed in a way that feels both intimate and invasive. The sight sends a jolt of shock through me, my mind racing as I process what I’m seeing. Who is she? Why is this on his phone?

I freeze, my heart pounding in my chest, a mix of betrayal and confusion flooding my senses.

I glance over at Zane, still asleep beside me, his features relaxed and peaceful.

The contrast between the vulnerability of the moment and the image on the screen is jarring, and I feel a wave of nausea washing over me.

I pull my hand back as if the phone is burning me, my breath quickening. This is not what I expected to wake up to. My mind races back to the passionate night we shared, the connection that felt so real, and now it feels tainted by this unexpected intrusion.

The weight of the moment crashes down on me, and I feel my heart racing with a mix of anger and hurt. I can’t bear to look at him, so I swing my legs over the side of the bed, my mind racing as I try to process everything.

Without saying a word, I gather my clothes from the floor, my hands shaking as I pull them on. I can’t stay here, not when everything feels so uncertain.

I move quietly, trying to keep my emotions in check, but the silence is deafening. The image of that woman is burned into my mind, and I feel the walls closing in around me. I grab my bag, my heart pounding in my chest as I head for the door.

I slip out of the room and into the cool morning air, the door clicking shut behind me. As I walk to the elevator, I can feel the tears threatening to spill over, but I refuse to let them fall. I need to get away, to breathe, to think.

What the hell is wrong with you, Wren? Of course, he said all of that stuff to get you into bed with him, but as my thoughts spiral out of control, one remains. I thought he was different. I thought he was better than that.

The world outside feels different now—colder, harsher, as if the very air has shifted in response to my shattered heart.

As I wave down a cab, my mind spirals back to the woman in the picture.

She was much older than me, exuding confidence and allure that makes my stomach twist with insecurity.

I can’t help but think how perfectly she fits with Zane, someone who belongs in a world I can hardly comprehend.

I’m just a twenty-two-year-old orphan, lost and searching for my place, while he’s a distinguished forty-five-year-old silver fox, a man who commands respect with his tattoo shop and life experience.

We are not the same. The realization crashes over me like a tidal wave, drowning me in a sea of self-doubt and despair.

How could I ever compete with someone like her? The ache in my chest deepens, and I feel utterly small and insignificant, as if I was never meant to be part of his world at all.