CHAPTER 89: HALFWAY TO YOU

Merlina threw off the covers and shoved her feet into her slippers, not bothering to fix the twisted heel. A jolt of anxiety pushed her forward before she could even register it.

She rounded every corner of the house with a rising sense of urgency, peeked into the guest room, glanced toward the hallway bathroom.

Until she finally caught sight of Melissa in the kitchen, standing barefoot in front of the fridge with a spoon in her mouth and a box of cereal tucked under one arm.

"Melissa," she called sharply, scanning the table. "Do you have my phone?"

Melissa eyes flicked toward Merlina in a squint. With her mouth full, she muttered, "Am I your assistant?" she dropped her spoon dramatically back into the bowl with a wet clink. "Why would I have your phone?"

Merlina turned, exasperated, to the couch where Alistair sat with a remote in hand, flipping through the channels like it was a competitive sport. "Alistair?"

"Nope," he replied flatly, not even glancing up.

Merlina stared at both of them for a second, her blood simmering with quiet frustration. She didn’t want to believe what was now obvious.

Her phone was really still at his house.

She remembered Craig’s voice earlier, ’I’ll tell Melissa to help you get your phone.’

Did he forget? Or did he not want her to get it at all? Did he intentionally let her leave without it?

Her hand curled into a fist, then without asking, she snatched Alistair’s phone from where it sat beside him on the couch.

"Hey!" he said, his hand reaching out.

"I need to call Carlos," she said, already walking away and punching in his number.

Carlos answered after a few rings, a little breathless. "Merlina? Hey, what’s up?"

"I need a ride back to the guesthouse. I left my phone."

Carlos hesitated on the other end. "Ah, I’m really sorry I can’t. Today I’m out running errands with my mom. It’s kind of a full day. But I can text you the address?"

Merlina swallowed down the frustration. "Okay... yeah. Thanks."

When the message pinged in, she stared at the address like it held more than just directions, it held consequences.

Then with a soft sigh, she gave Alistair his phone back and walked slowly to her room.

Inside, she dropped onto her bed like gravity had doubled. She didn’t even change out of her clothes. She just laid there, curling onto her side, pulling the blanket up over her head like it might protect her from what was coming.

She hated this. Hated needing to go back. Hated that part of her wondered whether Craig wanted her to. Whether this was all intentional.

Her phone could rot there for all she cared. She didn’t need it right now. It wasn’t him she was afraid of, it was who she became around him.

So instead, she closed her eyes, buried beneath cotton sheets and the comfort of silence.

Sleep came quickly.

When she opened her eyes again, hours had passed. The sun had shifted lower, streaking the sky in lazy amber. The house was quiet. She could hear someone’s playlist faintly from the living room. Melissa’s probably.

Merlina sat up slowly, the weight of what she had to do pressing down on her chest like a hand she couldn’t push away. Her limbs felt heavy with dread, but she knew her phone wasn’t going to walk itself home.

It was her world—texts, documents, contacts, access to her classes, everything. She had already gone this long without it. It was foolish to wait longer just to avoid him.

Besides... what if this wasn’t some calculated trap? What if he really had just forgotten?

She threw her legs over the bed and stood. No more waiting. She stepped into the bathroom, freshened up and had a quick bite in the kitchen, barely a pause until she stepped outside and hailed a cab.

Each turn toward Craig’s guest house felt heavier than the last. The closer she got, the more her chest tightened, not with fear, exactly, but the dread of walking back into something she hadn’t finished feeling yet.

Longing.

Anger.

Confusion.

The cab pulled up in front of the guesthouse, and before it had fully stopped, Merlina was already reaching for the door, her nerves flaring up.

She climbed out, feet hitting the ground with purpose. She walked faster, the sky deepening behind her.

She had just one goal. Get her phone. Get out. Nothing else. Right?

Merlina rang the doorbell, heart thudding louder than she wanted to admit. It opened almost instantly.

Craig stood there in the doorway, casual but put together in a way that made it hard not to stare. A soft charcoal sweater clung to him just right, paired with dark pants that made him look infuriatingly calm and composed.

There was something sharper about him today, like the angles of his face had settled deeper, the shadows under his eyes darker in a way that only made him more striking.

It felt almost unfair. Like every time she saw him, he looked a little better. Like his looks were sharpening by the hour, as if time itself had a crush on him.

And the worst part? He didn’t even seem to be trying.

But what got her wasn’t just his appearance or the way his hair fell slightly behind his ear, like it had settled there naturally, carelessly perfect...It was the look in his eyes. Like seeing her made something inside him stop.

"Hey," he said, voice soft and innocent. Like they hadn’t almost eaten each up the last time they were alone together.

Merlina swallowed. "Hey."

He stepped back, giving her room to enter.

She did, slowly, gaze flicking across the familiar space. "My phone. I left it here... Could you please help me get it?"

He nodded, already turning toward the stairs. "Yeah. It’s upstairs. Come get it."

But Merlina didn’t move, she wasn’t about to follow him up those stairs. Not again. Not when everything still felt...warm.

A moment later, Craig returned with her phone in his hand, pausing halfway down the staircase.

He leaned over the railing slightly, and when he saw her standing still, at the bottom, unmoving, one brow lifted with deliberate mischief.

"Merlina," he said, holding the phone up like an offering she had to earn. "Come get your phone."

She crossed her arms. "It’s right there. Just hand it over."

He stayed where he was, unbothered. "Stop being childish."

"I’m being childish?" she scoffed. "You’re the one holding it hostage. Just bring it down."

He shrugged, the corner of his mouth curving like he was enjoying this more than he should. "Come get it."

A small groan escaped her lips. She blew out a breath and marched up a few steps, stopping just below him. Her voice dropped. "Craig."

As she stretched out her hand for the phone, he lifted it higher with a grin.

"What took you so long?" he asked, eyes dancing.

"What?"

"What took you so long to come get it?" His tone was soft, teasing but there was a question beneath it she didn’t want to answer.

"You’re unbelievable," she muttered, climbing one more step closer.

He smirked and leaned back slightly, holding the phone just out of reach. She narrowed her eyes, then placed her hand firmly on his chest to steady herself.

Her palm met warm fabric and a rapid heartbeat beneath. The contact made her pause for a beat longer than necessary. He looked down at her hand, then at her, a slow smile forming.

She tried to roll her eyes, but it didn’t quite land. "Give me my phone, Craig."

"Ask nicely," he said, dipping his head a little closer. His voice was low now, almost tender.

"I’m not begging for what’s mine," she replied, but her voice lacked conviction.

Her other hand lifted again, and they ended up in a gentle tangle of arms. Her trying to reach, him dodging just enough to keep it going.

It was stupid and childish and ridiculous.

And kind of beautiful.

For a moment, they weren’t arguing. They were wrapped in something lighter, something warm and magnetic.

Her hair brushed his arm. His chest rose beneath her fingers. Their eyes met, too close, too full of everything they wanted to do to each other.

Until—

Her phone vibrated in his hand. With a loud, sharp and insisted ring.

They both looked down, the Caller ID lit up the screen like a warning.

Louis ❤️❤️❤️

The smile drained from his face in a heartbeat, his eyes hardening as they locked on the name. The redness of love emoji beside his name hit Craig like a slap.

His jaw locked. His entire mood shifted, fast. His fingers tightened around the device.

Merlina froze, not from the name alone, but from how quickly his energy shifted. The warmth between them chilled in an instant.

She could sense it in his chest beneath her hand, in the way his body stiffened, how his breath stopped short. The atmosphere turned brittle.

Craig didn’t move.

Neither did she.

"Craig..." she said cautiously, her voice a little quieter now. Almost like a plea.