He obeyed immediately, sinking to his knees in front of me.
“Closer.”
His eyes never left mine as he lowered himself onto his hands and crawled to me, meticulous with every movement. He stopped at my feet. The expression on his face made something inside me ache. He took my hand carefully before rising just enough to kneel in front of me, his grip gentle despite the effort it took to maintain his composure.
The way he knelt for me—offering every violent part of himself, surrendering without shame. It was all the power I’ve ever wanted.
Maybe we could just run…
“Cezar,” I began, fighting to steady my emotions, “none of this was your fault. We shouldn’t have left things like that. I’m sorry for what I said. There are just things you can’t know yet. But I’m fine. It wasn’t as bad as it looked. I’m here.” The words lingered.
“You could have died because of me—”
“But I didn’t. I—”
“Petal.” His grip tightened on my hand, almost enough to bruise. His eyes—those devastating blue eyes—held me captive. “You could have died. And without you, there is no me.”
A tear slid down his cheek. He didn’t wait for permission before pulling me tenderly into his arms, holding me against his chest like he still needed proof I was alive.
I melted into him just as desperately, everything inside me unraveling—grief, desire, fear, devotion—all collapsing into one relentless tide.
He brought his mouth to my ear. “Petal, you’re mine,” he whispered, rough around the edges. “Only you can hurt me. And only I can love you.”
Love… love… love…
Sobs tore free, my face buried in his shoulder while he held me upright, keeping me from crumbling onto the hospital floor. Everything I’d carried for years—what happened a few days ago, a few years ago, a lifetime ago—poured out of me in front of him.
Love—what a haunting thing to know. Shackled to Cezar by his very existence. Crafting our beautiful tragedy.
Chapter 61
CEZAR
It didn’t take long before Lina was discharged. She was stubborn as hell—and her people were even worse—so there was no universe in which she stayed longer than she wanted.
The ride home was silent. The second the car rolled to a stop outside the house, I was halfway out, ready to sprint around and snatch her up like some damsel in distress. All I cared about was getting her inside where she belonged.
Vali waited by the door, eyes glossy with worry. I rounded the hood and headed for Lina’s side. When I swung the door open, she was sitting with her arms crossed, staring at me with that look, the one that said,you’re ridiculous, and I’m going to tolerate it, but only because you’re cute when you’re pathetic.
She didn’t fight me. She didn’t roll her eyes or snap some sarcastic line. She just let me have this one.
I cradled her through the doorway, let her greet Vali, then took her straight into the kitchen, where Dorin had left food.
The house had gone quiet. I carried her upstairs, ignoring her half-hearted struggle and cursing.
In her room, I laid her down gently on the bed. For a second, I just stood there, watching her breathe.My Petal. My Lina.My reason for dragging myself through the hell that was our life.
I’d already told her I loved her. Those words terrified me, but the way she looked at me afterward like maybe I wasn’t just some fucked-up monster… that made every scar worth it.
I sat on the edge of the mattress, letting my knuckles graze her cheek. “You should rest.”
Her lips tugged into a faint smirk. “You’re terrible at taking your own advice, Cezar.”
“Funny.” I leaned in and kissed her—taking my time. She kissed me back, fingers catching on my shirt, pulling me down until there was no space left between us. For the first time in too long, the heat between us wasn’t destruction. It was dangerous in an entirely different way.
When I pulled back, my forehead rested against hers, and I found myself asking, “Do you trust me?”
Her lashes fluttered. A pause, thick with unspoken things. Then, “Yes.”
