“It means fuck all to me if you’re not with me, Char.”
Tears well in her eyes immediately and I swallow before continuing, worried about the possibility of more rejection.
“I know we said we wouldn’t, but if I have this one last final moment to change your mind, I’m sure going to fucking take it.”
She sighs, her eyes closing as she faces aside, and I can feel the heaviness of her heart, but I squeeze my hold on her hands, drawing her attention back to me.
“It will be a six-month tour. Come the fuck with me. Away from this city. Away from everything.”
Her brows crease again, considering my words before she finally responds.
“But what about Reign?”
I inhale deeply and shrug my shoulder casually.
“He doesn’t want you to leave either and if you’re with me, he will understand.”
She shakes her head, before she leans over, lowering her voice.
“But that would be me essentially choosing you, Chaos.”
My gaze lowers, looking at our fingers tightly entwined before I give them another squeeze and lift one to my lips, my eyes colliding with hers and I speak against her soft skin.
“You still have a few days left here in New York; please just think about it for me.”
She offers a small nod, a silent agreement drifting between us like a delicate whisper in the wind. It is a reassurance I desperately cling to, a lifeline in a time of uncertainty. She is not just a presence in my life; she is my fucking everything. The light that helps me through the darkest of nights.
Without her, my world loses its fucking color, its meaning, its purpose. My love for her is more than just words, it is a feeling that reaches depths that only the heart can understand. Through all the hard times we've shared, our bond has grown stronger. She is my rock, my anchor in the storm, and I want to cherish her for a lifetime if she will allow me to.
“Wherever I am, Lil Chaos, I need you beside me, but if you’re not, I will always be beside you because our souls are forever entwined. Now and forever.”
A small grin curves my lips as I extend my hand over the table toward her before slipping it around the side of her neck, guiding her closer to me, my touch firm yet tender. Our lips collide with an intense connection, tongues intertwining as she leans into the kiss, tilting her head to the side, granting me access to explore her mouth deeper.
When we finally part, a low primal growl escapes my throat, my eyes locking with hers, scanning them and I gently move her hair away from her face with the tips of my fingers before tracing them down her cheek.
“I fucking love you. I hope you know that.”
She smiles softly, her eyes full of love before pressing her plump, wet lips firmly against mine and whispering.
“I love you too. Always.”
After grabbing something to eat at a drive-through, me and Chaos are on his bike on the way home. As we ride through some woodland, the sun is setting, the trees overhead is making the deserted road appear much darker than it normally would be, and I squeeze my arms around his midsection a little more.
The chilly night air whips across my skin as I nestle myself against him and he removes one of his gloved hands from thehandle, placing it on mine on his abs. I smile inside the helmet until I feel him slowdown, which makes it fade.
As he comes to a sudden stop, I glance over his shoulder to see a line of black four-wheeled drives blocking our path. Confusion wrinkles my brow as I try to make sense of what is happening. Then, the sound of approaching cars from behind grabs our attention, and Chaos's panicked voice filters through his helmet, adding to the tension.
“Charley, call Reign, it’s my father.”
Fear seizes me as I realize what he is telling me and I hastily retrieve my phone from my pocket, but before I can make a call, Chaos accelerates, forcing me to grip onto him tightly as he swerves the bike and races into the dark woods beside us, attempting to escape. With only the bike's headlight illuminating our path, we dart past trees, and I struggle to steady my trembling hand as I search for Reign's number. When I finally find it, I tap on loudspeaker, though the roaring of the bike drowns out any sound from the call.
I glance behind us, but the darkness obscures everything until a sudden impact from the front wheel sends the bike and us hurtling over the handlebars. I scream as we crash onto the ground with a loud thud. As I lift my dazed head, stunned and groaning, my heart starts to race as soon as I hear Chaos's loud groan pierce the night, awakening my senses. Desperately, I search through the darkness until I detect movement not far from me, and I hastily crawl on my hands and knees towards him.
Once I am beside him, I scan his body frantically, my heart pounding as I take in the sight of the thick branch protruding from his thigh, blood gushing from the wound. Acting oninstinct, I pull my hoodie over my head and tie it tightly around his thigh, hoping to stop the copious amounts of blood he is losing. He winces in pain, his head thrown back, as I work to slow the bleeding.
“It’s okay, baby.”
I start to search around with my eyes, attempting to locate my phone, but a sound in the distance catches my attention and my head whips around in that direction. I notice flashlights, many of them heading this way and I start to panic, pulling on Chaos’s arm.
