I wake up in the arms of an astronaut. We lay there like children, like the old times.

Cato awakens before I do, but he stays spooned tightly against me, planting delicate chaste kisses on my neck as I sleep. Each kiss reminds me why I imagined so many naive fantasies about him when I was a child. The warmth of his lips tell tales of tender touches when storms raged and soft whispers when I fell asleep on his shoulder while he read his books.

The kisses stop as soon as I stir awake. I roll over as the morning light catches his drowsy green irises.

I smile as we share the same pillow. "I thought maybe you'd be gone."

"I promised I'd stay, didn't I?" there's a wince in his smile as he sits up. His hand immediately falls down to his lower back. " I'm buying you a new mattress."

"You shouldn't be favoring me like that," I blush.

Those green eyes flash back over to me, seriousness written on every crevasse on his face. "Say what you will, but you need a new mattress."

He stretches when he stands. Through the white fabric of his now-wrinkled collared shirt, his back muscles appear godly like an ancient Greek statue. It's no secret that women long to be at the feet of the world's most well-known astronaut. Thomas temporarily took away Cato's appeal, but now that Cato's back around...

Maureen, stop thinking about him like that. Cato is Cato—a friend, nothing more. Besides, the wound of Thomas' betrayal still remains fresh, and although I know Cato's comfort can heal it, being intimate with him might just add salt to it.

Besides, Cato's engaged.

"Maureen?" Cato hums as he looks over his shoulder.

"Huh?"

He smiles when he realizes he caught me in a daydream. "My father and I are hiring a new headmistress to oversee the estate today, because we both know I can't do this forever."

"Oh..." the sound comes out more disappointed than I expected it to be. "So I shouldn't be expecting a new mattress then, since you won't be around."

"Who says I won't be around?"

"Gemma."

I watch whatever joy in his face dissolve at the mention of her name. "She's not around fifty percent of the time anyway."

"You do research in the other half of that time."

"So what if you start working as a servant at my estate?" Cato proposes with a smirk. "I wouldn't have to buy you a new mattress when you'd be sharing mine."

My cheeks blush at the comment, and I sheepishly avoid his gaze. Cato revels in his offer, stepping near to me to seal my temptations.

"I know that look in your eyes, Maureen," he murmurs in an octave lower than usual. The hairs on my arm stand up as my body simmers in the pleasure of his low voice. "You want me."

"I don't want your arrogance," I manage to tease, which causes his green eyes to flicker.

This is exactly what I told myself to avoid: entangling myself with Cato. Yet, I can't help myself from taking just a small taste of him.

Cato presses his lips to my ear. "If you live with me, I'll make sure you forget everything Thomas ever did to you. The only name you'll need to scream is mine."

"Gemma," I squeak out.

The name seems to be a good way of breaking any sexual tension. Cato backs away with a frown on his handsome face, releasing an annoyed huff at the mention of his fiance.

"Think about it," Cato smirks as his hands fall causally into his pockets. "Clotilde could really use the help."

I frown. "Clotilde?"

"The headmistress that watches over my estate," Cato answers. "She's like a grandma to me. She'd love you."

I bite my lip from screaming 'yes' at him, but we're treading dangerous water. Ever since the death of Evelyn, Cato and I have grown closer than ever before. The lost connection between us revives itself. Throughout the day, we act as strangers. But ever since I started going to Evelyn's old study in the evening to see Cato, we find ourselves in closer proximity than we should.

Cato leaves my bedroom, and I wait a reasonable amount of time before leaving mine. I soon find myself leaving to start the morning chores.

The moment I step out of my room, I collide with an eager Annie. She nearly pins me against the wall. "Explain why Cato Leveque just came out of your bedroom this early in the morning?"

I swallow, not wanting to confess to her the truth about how close Cato and I truly are. Annie came to the Leveque estate after Cato left for the Beaulieu Space Academy. She knew that I'd been with the Leveque's for a while, hence my own bedroom on the upper floor, but she wouldn't believe Cato and I's fates are so written in the stars.

Annie narrows her brown eyes. "Did Cato spend the night in your room?"

My cheeks burn with heat. "Yes, but it's not what you think—"

"Are you sleeping with him too?"

I roll my eyes. "No. I'm not sleeping with Cato Leveque." I mean, yes we fell asleep together, but no, not having sex.

"What about the handsome guy that picks you up everyday?" Annie asks. If my cheeks could blush redder than they are now, they would. "Don't think I haven't noticed that you suddenly stay here now."

I gaze down the corridor, hoping no nosy servant stumbles down here.

"I haven't been honest with you," I admit. "About Cato, and about Thomas."

Her eyes spark. Secretly, Annie loves good gossip. Always has, and always will. These days, it seems the only excitement in her life comes from my pathetic romantic attempts.

"Thomas and I...it wasn't meant to be," I say. She opens her mouth, but I cut her short. "I'm not telling you the details."

"Maureen, was it really that bad?"

I nod my head, but decide not to pursue the topic of Thomas further, because if I do, I know tears will pool in the rims of my eyes. Last night, my heart jumped towards the man begging for my forgiveness, but he killed the woman that viewed me as her daughter. Evelyn. Everything that I miss, that I thought we had, was far from the real world that I belong in.

"Cato and I were close before he left for the space academy," I tell her.

"How close?" she whispers. "Like just had conversations in the hallway close or...?"

"We slept in the same bed every other night."

Annie squeals and smiles widely. "You? And Cato?"

"Ever since Evelyn's death, him and I have just reconnected."

I fail to mention every interaction prior to this, such as him sneaking in tipsy the night of his return, the passion out in the garden behind the bedsheets, the infiltration at the gala... It's best if Annie doesn't know.

"So this whole time you pretended you didn't care about Cato, when really you know everything about him?"

I manage to smile. "I know one or two embarrassing secrets he'd kill me if the world knew."

"Tell me one right now."

I scan the hallways once more, lowering my voice to an almost inaudible whisper. "I can't do that."

"Then I don't believe you." Annie releases me from her hold and takes a few steps back. Thankfully, she decides to switch the topic of conversation. "We're with Augustine for the day, so I'm hoping he makes some of those cookies again."

Of course we're with Augustine. I know this because I made schedule, and if I'm being honest... well... I'm hoping he'll make some of those cookies too.

Annie and I descend down the stairs towards the kitchen. Augustine keeps us busy for the day with meals and food prepping. It seems with Evelyn's departure, Audwin has suddenly been having more guests over. Augustine seems to think it's because he needs a reason to distract himself from the emptiness of the estate, but nobody really knows. It's not like anyone ever approaches Audwin anyway due to his busy schedule.

We all knew Audwin's love for Evelyn was a sham, but we acted as if they were meant to be. Still, there was a fondness for her in his heart, despite him never being faithful to her a day in his life. Sometimes I wonder if Cato will truly follow in his father's footsteps and choose an unfaithful marriage compared to love.

Augustine slips out of the room for a moment, and Annie bumps my shoulder as we cut vegetables. "I apologize for being pushy earlier, about Cato and 'that other guy'," she winks as she replaces Thomas' name.

I force a weak smile from her. "I don't want to talk about it."

"You know I won't tell anyone here, right?" I meet her brown eyes, only to see the genuine soul of a close friend. "Just tell me when you're ready, okay?"

I nod my head and proceed to slice carrots for Augustine's stew. Annie and I work in silence, but the odd nudge and bump from my friend reminds me that I'm not alone.

The kitchen door swings open.

Standing on the other side is a wide eyed Louisa, the one servant that Augustine hates to bits.

"Did you hear?" she frantically rambles.

I frown while Annie's eyes widen with wonder. "What's going on?"

"Audwin and Cato just hired a new headmistress to replace Evelyn," she pants. "We're supposed to all meet in the gathering hall to meet her."

Annie and I drop our cutting knives, following close behind Louisa as we weave down the corridors to the gathering hall. Whoever the replacement is, she'll never be Evelyn. She'll never be loved the way we all adored Evelyn's presence, because Evelyn never viewed us as the poor low class citizens that we are.

We enter in the gathering hall, and immediately my heart comes to a dead stop.

Cato knows I hate that goddamn place. The blood. The cracked skin. The dark walls. I told him I quit there because I was nothing but another lifeless corpse. When I meet Cato's green eyes, all I see is him trying to avoid my watch, as if he knows the pain he's just inflicted.

When I see him again, alone, I'll make sure he never hears the end of my fury. I don't care if I'm just a servant. I don't care if he's the world's greatest astronaut.

And yet, he and his father chose her.

The witch in the flesh.

The new headmistress is Madame Newmister from the hospital.

-----

*cue Maureen unleashing her wrath in the next chapter*

also, Fallen's 25 chapters strong! AND I'M DONE MY EXAMS :)

I have a week and a half until I have to go to work for the summer which means lots of time to write more chapters for Fallen. Expect more frequent updates!

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