Chapter 11
Hazel's POV
The next day was grueling. I woke up before dawn to do all the chores Stepmom had warned me about. I fed the animals, cleaned the house, did the laundry, and more. My hands were sore, my back ached, and I was hungry since I'd missed dinner the night before.
But through every task, every ache, every moment of exhaustion, my mind kept drifting back to Lexi. Those piercing green eyes that seemed to see right through me. The way he'd leaned in close, his spicy, seductive scent filling the air. The smile he'd given me – captivating and unnerving.
Stepmom checked on me a few times, making sure I was doing everything perfectly. My stepsisters seemed to enjoy watching me work hard while they lounged around. But I barely registered them. Lexi was in my thoughts like a quiet storm, swirling with every movement I made.
When I finally finished all the chores before bedtime, exhausted didn't even begin to describe how I felt. I trudged up to my attic room, collapsing onto the bed. But even as I lay there, worn out, Lexi didn't leave my mind. I replayed the encounter – how he'd ridden up like a shadow, how he'd looked at me with those intense eyes, how he'd leaned in.
Why had he done that? Why had he looked at me like that? I wasn't anyone important. Laura was the one who cared about Lexi, who talked about him all the time. But Lexi had seemed... interested in me. The thought sent a shiver through me despite the exhaustion.
I closed my eyes but visions of Lexi lingered – his dark brown hair with those luxuriant waves, his black armor, the way he'd moved with a quiet command. His piercing green eyes watched me in the darkness of my mind like they had in reality.
Would Stepmom treat me differently knowing Lexi had looked at me like that? The thoughts swirled in my head like a whirlpool pulling me in.
I tossed and turned a bit, unable to sleep fully because Lexi was there in my thoughts, front and center. I couldn't stop thinking about him. The harshness of my life with Stepmom and the stepsisters faded into the background compared to the vividness of Lexi in my mind.
Eventually, exhaustion won out and I drifted into a restless sleep, dreams mingling with thoughts of Lexi riding through shadows on his black horse, looking for me with those piercing green eyes.