Page 187 of The Villain We Tempt

I wondered for so long what color Ghost’s eyes were. And here they were, right in front of me the whole time.

They’re blue.

“When you’re ready,” Lochlan says quietly, “go ahead and start.”

The silence hangs like fog between us. I just sit there, my pulse skipping and my heart chugging along as my eyes lock with his.

The seconds tick by.

“Galina.”

The low, smooth hum of his voice dances over me.

“What…” My voice cracks. “What time did you leave this?—”

“Galina—”

“I was just surprised when I woke up and you weren’t?—"

“If you’re doing this because you think I’ll disappear unless you say it out loud,” he growls quietly. “You’re wrong.”

My breath hitches. Moisture beads at the corners of my eyes as I stare into his.

“I can be whatever you need me to be, Galina,” he murmurs, staring right into my soul. “You’renotgoing to lose me, little villain,” he says tightly. “I’m not going anywhere.”

A sob wrenches from my chest as the tears begin to fall. Lochlan’s face darkens, and I sob again when he reaches across the table and cups my cheek with a warm, strong hand.

“We can keep this exactly as it is, if that’s what you want,” he growls, his eyes locked with mine. “Whatever the fuck you need,” he hisses. “Whatever?—”

“Are you him?”

The air stops moving. My pulse freezes. Even the second hand on the clock above the white board seems to slow to a crawl before coming to a stop.

Lochlan’s eyes hold mine—unblinking, without fear, without judgment. His thumb gently strokes across my cheek, brushing away a tear.

“Are you him?" I choke out again, my voice cracking the silence as tears blur my eyes. “Are you Ghost? Please, I just…last night, I was sitting in that hospital waiting room, and all I could think about wasyou.”

Another sob wracks my chest.

“My friend almost died, and all I could fucking think about wasyou, andus, and how I’m sotiredof being afraid of things being too real.” I croak, slowly shaking my head, his blue eyes locked with my blurry ones. “I wake up every fucking morning wishing you were there with me, and I go to bed every goddamn night not even wanting to shower because I don’t want the scent of you to go away, and I’mso fucking tiredof being afraid, worrying if this will get too real if the mask comes off. But Iwantreal!” I continue in a rush, shaking as the tears pour down my face. “Iwant real, Lochlan!” I sob. “And I want real withyou. So please, put me out of my misery?—”

“Galina—”

“Tell me if you’re?—”

“Galina, I?—”

“ARE YOU HIM?!” I all but scream in a blurry, snotty, trembling mess of tears and rambling anxiety. “Are you fucking?—!”

I choke on a gasp when Lochlan grabs the edge of the table between us and shoves the whole thing across the floor. I’m sobbing when he slides off his chair to his knees in front of me,and before I know what he’s doing, he’s cupping my face in both his hands and pressing his forehead to mine.

“What Iam, Galina,” Lochlan chokes, “isyours. I’m fuckingyours, baby.”

Then he kisses me, for the very first time.

His lips sear to mine, burning away all the pain, fear, uncertainty, and self-doubt until all that’s left is two people.

No Ghost.