And I really, really did.
My eyes dropped before I could stop them. My breath caught.
Oh—
Heat flooded my face so fast it made me dizzy. I should’ve looked away. I knew I should’ve. But I didn’t. Not properly. Not all at once. My gaze flicked—then dragged—then stayed.
He was beautiful.
My pulse stuttered hard in my chest.
When I finally forced myself to look back up, he was already watching me.
Waiting.
“Everything I am is yours,” he said quietly, like it was the simplest thing in the world.
My breath caught. My hand twitched between us.
I didn’t even realise I’d moved until I felt it—the pull.
I snatched it back, pressing it hard into my sleeve like that would stop it. Like that would stop me.
I closed my eyes, dragging in a breath that didn’t quite work.
“Ash…”
My voice shook.
“I want to—but I can’t. I’m scared I’ll—”
Ash smiled and gently touched my hair. “It’s okay. I’m not in any hurry.”
I clenched my fists tightly and groaned. “I’m sorry!”
“You don’t have to apologise to me, Seph.” Ash said, but he stepped back and all I felt was colder. I watched him dress quickly in pants and a black T shirt. He sent me a small smirk, and I knew he meant it.
“But I do. I hate being like this. I hate all of it.”
He sat beside me. “I know. But you want to know what I think?”
I let out a deep breath. “What?”
“I think that you’re amazing, just as you are. And that together we’ll figure this out.”
“I wish I had your confidence.”
He shrugged. “It’s not confidence. I just know it. You’re mine, and I’ll have you any way I can—even if we never do anything like that.”
“That’s not fair on you.”
“Of course it is.” He stood up and walked over to the dresser, grabbing my gloves. He handed them to me.
“Come on. Time to face the firing squad.”
Chapter 34
Sy
