Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91361 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91361 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
He moved, too.
He would do anything for her, give anything to her except that.
He pushed the door shut just as it opened, his hand slamming against it as he stood behind her, trapping Aria between his body and the door.
“Please...let...me...go.” Her voice was wisp-thin and brittle, and he knew she wasn’t speaking like before. Wasn’t speaking because she wanted him to smile.
“I’d appreciate if you could give me a moment of your time, terataki.” When she didn’t say anything, he said hoarsely, “Just one moment of your time.” He spun her around, but still she didn’t meet his gaze, her body remaining stiff and her arms glued to her side to prevent any parts of their bodies coming into contact.
Lifting his hand from the door, he reached for her hands with his, flinching at how cold and clammy they felt. It was a sign that she was scared. That she was hurting. And that was all his fault, too.
“Baby, look at me. Please.”
He didn’t really expect her to heed him, but after one long moment, he saw her slowly raise her head, relief and pain both washing over him as their gazes met.
That she was following him was also a result of his selfishness, of Kellion’s thoughtless decision to break her glass house. Aria had trusted him to be there for her. But when she had needed to hold his hand, he had been holding someone else’s.
The realization tore him apart, and he heard himself saying tautly, “I’m sorry.” He tightened his hold on her hands. “I would never have left...I never thought that something like that would happen to you.” He swallowed convulsively.
Slowly, Aria shook her head. “I...don’t...blame...you.”
He said grimly, “You should.”
She shook her head just once. “I...don’t.”
His lips twisted. “Still adorably stubborn.” He saw her eyes widen, knew it was because the words were tender but his voice had been savage.
Yeah, well, fuck, that was how she made him feel right now. Torn in different directions, trying to make sense of the hundreds of emotions that had hit him the moment Kellion had seen her face.
His knuckles brushing against her cheek, he said roughly, “Do you know how I felt when I read your message? When you told me you didn’t want to see me again?”
“Sorry.” This time, she was the one who held his hand tightly. “Never...wanted...to...hurt...you.” Her lip started to tremble, and Aria’s teeth sank into her lower lip.
Gazing at Aria’s face, Kellion heard himself say, “If you don’t want to hurt me, then say you’ll stay with me forever.” The moment the words were out, he didn’t know who seemed more surprised, Aria or himself. But it was beginning to dawn on him that he meant every word.
He watched Aria bite her lip harder. “I...can’t.”
The words hurt, pushing Kellion close to the edge. The words felt like another rejection, and he wanted to go berserk at it. Why couldn’t anyone see him? Why?
He hadn’t realized he had lowered his head until he felt Aria cupping his face, forcing him to meet eyes that had stopped seeing him—-
Kellion’s heart crashed against his chest when he saw the love shining in Aria’s blue-violet eyes.
“Don’t...misunderstand.” A smile wobbled on her lips. “It’s...not...that...I...don’t...see...you.” One, two, three teardrops started to fall, and soon it was an endless, silent, heartbreaking flow of tears.
“It’s...because...I...see...you...everywhere—-” She stopped speaking, the tears falling faster on her face. And he knew that even though she was hurting, even though she was hurting because of him, she was also crying for him.
Unable to bear it, Kellion took hold of her face and kissed her. He kissed her the way he had wanted to from the very start, kissed her even as she froze, struggled, and cried, her tears mingling with their kiss.
So many things were unclear now, his feelings a complete mess. When he was with Aria, there was none of the painful, crazy longing he felt every time he was with Jack, no desperate urge to do something wildly impressive to keep her eyes on him.
If that meant he still loved Jack, if that meant he didn’t love Aria—-
It no longer mattered.
He wouldn’t let it matter.
Because whether he loved Aria or not, he knew now that he did want her with him, forever.
He wanted to be the one to make her smile, really smile, the way she wanted him to smile. He wanted to be the one to heal her wounds, the one to make her speak without crying.
“Aria, I want to show you something.”
Doubt flashed in her eyes.
“Just come with me this one time, and if you still want to leave...” It was one of the greatest risks he had ever taken in his life, but for her, he was willing to do everything. “If you still want to leave, I’ll do what you asked. We’ll never see each other again.”