Erik
She doesn’t speak again after, “Don’t give me reasons to walk away.” And I don’t ask for more than that.
We sit in silence, her fingers laced with mine, the air too still around us. I feel like I’m sitting on the edge of a cliff, and one wrong breath will send the whole world crumbling beneath my feet.
Scarlett is a storm holding its breath. Her body is still. Her magic, coiled just beneath her skin.
When she finally stands, she doesn’t let go of my hand. She leads me back to the bedroom without saying anything.
My pulse is a thunderclap in my ears. I follow her because it’s the only thing I know how to do. Because if I let her go now, I’ll lose her forever.
She turns to face me and grips the front of my shirt. Her eyes burn with fury and desire, grief and hunger, all of it crackling in the space between us.
And then she kisses me. It’s not sweet. It’s war.
Teeth clash. Her fingers twist in my shirt, yanking me into her like she needs to consume me or destroy me, maybe both. Her
