005

Chapter 5

Sabrina

The sharp crack of the slap rang through the room.

Ronan’s cheek flushed red almost instantly. His bloodshot eyes locked on mine, wide with shock.

“How dare you!” My voice shook as anger surged through me.

“First you treat me like a joke, and now you kiss me? What exactly do you think I am?” Tears burned hot behind my eyes.

“Do I look like some toy you can play with whenever you feel like it? Did you think I’d just let you do whatever you wanted because I acted like a desperate idiot earlier?”

My throat tightened painfully.

“Sabrina—” He reached toward my face.

“Don’t!” I slapped his hand away.

My chest ached. I felt used. Humiliated all over again. He’d shredded my heart only hours ago, and now he was kissing me like none of it had happened.

“Have you no shame, Ronan?” More fury poured out of me.

I wasn’t even sure if I was angrier about the kiss itself or the fact that he’d chosen *this* moment to do it.

“Get out of my room!” I pointed at the door.

“Get—”

The rest of the sentence never made it out. His mouth covered mine again.

I tried to shove him back, but his arms locked around me and we tumbled onto the mattress. His grip tightened. The kiss grew harder, hungrier.

A soft sound escaped me when he finally broke away. His warm breath washed over my face while my heart hammered against my ribs.

Slowly he began pressing soft kisses along the tracks of my tears.

Every defense I still had crumbled. My eyes fluttered shut. I let myself sink into the heat of his mouth.

Then I felt the light flick of his tongue against my skin. Slow, deliberate shivers rolled down my spine—nothing like anything I’d felt before. Pleasure and torture mixed together.

He smoothed his tongue over my lips. A quiet gasp slipped out of me. He pushed inside, and the sharp taste of alcohol gave way to something sweeter that melted through me.

How could he taste this good?

His tongue explored every corner of my mouth until I was nearly melting against him.

“Mmm…” The sound left me without permission as he went deeper.

Heat flooded my body. I couldn’t tell if I was desperate for more or simply desperate for air. He was consuming me.

I couldn’t breathe.

I clutched his shirt, but he didn’t pull back. He kept devouring me like he’d been waiting years for this exact moment.

Whatever anger I’d felt earlier had vanished completely.

Was I being weak? Was I just letting him have his way? Or should I finally be glad I had him, even like this?

Ronan was kissing me. The boy I’d crushed on for so long was making me feel like I’d fallen straight into heaven with no map back.

I’d imagined kissing him a thousand times. None of those fantasies had ever come close to this intensity.

My lungs burned. I tugged harder at his shirt in silent panic.

He seemed to notice and finally lifted his head. I dragged in a sharp, desperate breath.

“…don’t want to see you cry again.” The words came out slurred. His hand rose and gently wiped the remaining tears from my cheeks.

My heart stuttered. It felt like I was falling for him all over again.

He looked at me as if I were the only person who existed. Completely different from the man who’d rejected me earlier.

Ronan leaned in once more, lips nearly brushing mine—

*Clack.*

Something clattered outside.

I gasped and shoved him hard. He landed on the floor with a soft thud.

“Ronan—” I scrambled off the bed and dropped beside him. “Are you okay?”

He only hummed in response.

I glanced toward the hallway, pulse racing. Could that have been Logan?

If my brother walked in right now…

“I can’t just sit here and wonder,” I muttered. “I have to check.”

I slipped quietly out of the room. The house was empty. A few books had simply slid off a shelf.

I put them back with shaky hands and returned to my room—only to find Ronan gone.

I stared at the rumpled bed. Every second of what had just happened flooded back. I touched my swollen lips and my heart sank.

“He was drunk… he won’t remember any of this,” I whispered. The words made the ache worse. “I’ll just go back to avoiding him and acting like—”

My lips trembled. Fresh tears welled up.

“Like nothing happened.”

---

The next morning the three of us sat at the dining table for breakfast.

I kept my head down. I couldn’t risk meeting Ronan’s eyes.

“A few more bites and I’m out,” Logan said around a mouthful of toast, eating like he hadn’t seen food in days.

“You coming?” he asked Ronan.

“No. I’ll call Coach. Head’s killing me.” Hangover, clearly.

“Alright. See you later.” Logan clapped him on the shoulder, grabbed his bag, and headed for the door. “Bye, Brat!”

“That was unnecessary,” I muttered, watching him leave.

The moment the front door shut, my gaze accidentally locked with Ronan’s. I looked away fast and stood, plate in hand. I refused to be alone with him.

I’d only taken two steps when fingers closed around my wrist.

I turned. Ronan was holding on.

Did he remember last night?

“Let go,” I tried to pull free.

“No.” Hi

s other arm snaked around my waist. The plate slipped from my fingers and shattered against the floor.

“I’m not letting you go.”