Thorns Grow After Betrayal (Celeste and Chester) novel Chapter 203

Celestine blinked at the unfamiliar ceiling, disoriented for a moment.

Then it clicked—she was at Sandra’s place.

Instinctively, she glanced over to the other side of the bed.

The sheets were still neatly folded, just as they’d been before she went to sleep, not a wrinkle out of place.

That alone helped clear the fog in her mind.

Where had Gideon slept last night?

She stumbled out of bed, pulling on a cardigan as she went.

That’s when she noticed a faint smear of ointment on her forearm.

Celestine frowned in surprise, trying to piece together the details.

She wandered out of the room, still half-dazed.

The island was quiet in the early morning, the air cool and tinged with the briny scent of the sea.

Sandra, already up and about, was sweeping the garden path in an apron.

“Sandra, have you seen Mr. Prescott?” Celestine called out.

“Who?” Sandra straightened, stretching her back.

She glanced up, catching sight of Celestine in one of her usual, unflattering old sweaters—except somehow, Celestine managed to make it look stylish.

A flicker of surprise and envy crossed Sandra’s face.

Celestine explained patiently, “The man who came here with me last night.”

“Oh, him.” Sandra’s memory caught up, and she gestured toward the gate. “He left first thing this morning. Guess he ditched you, huh?”

Celestine shook her head with a faint smile. “He wouldn’t do that.”

Even with Sandra teasing, Celestine simply knew—Gideon wasn’t the type to just leave her.

Sure enough, before breakfast, Gideon returned to Sandra’s little courtyard, carrying two nearly new phones and a box of the village’s homemade pastries.

Sandra emerged from the kitchen, hands dusted with flour, and caught sight of him. “Well, look at that. Didn’t expect you to be right.”

Celestine just pressed her lips together in a quiet smile.

Gideon, on the other hand, was intrigued. “What are you two plotting over here?” He handed one of the phones to Celestine. “This’ll do for now. We can get you a new one once we’re off the island.”

Celestine blushed, immediately kneeling beside him to check his leg.

She gently pressed around the bandage, noticing faint spots of dried blood.

Head down, she murmured, guilt in her voice, “Does it hurt?”

Gideon’s Adam’s apple bobbed. The words he’d meant to say caught on something else.

“It does…”

“Well, well, what are you two lovebirds up to so early? Aren’t you embarrassed?” Sandra called, clutching a bowl as she retreated to the kitchen, muttering under her breath.

Celestine froze, mortified.

Only then did she realize how it must have looked, kneeling so close to Gideon like that.

She started to get up, ready to explain herself to Sandra.

But Gideon’s hand pressed gently to her shoulder, his voice warm and uncharacteristically vulnerable.

“Miss Selwyn, it hurts.”