Page 166 of King of Ruin

"I let the worst part of me take over."

He looked at her, his eyes filled with regret.

"I love you, Elise."

The words came out quietly, but there was no hesitation this time.

"I didn't understand it before. I didn't know what it was. I thought it was anger, jealousy, possessiveness... but I know now." His voice trembled slightly. "I'm so in love with you that I can't even stand the thought of you standing next to someone else."

His hand moved to her face, his thumb brushing lightly against her skin.

"But I regret what I did."

The pain in his eyes deepened.

"Please don't punish me anymore."

Before she could respond, he pulled her into his arms.

The force of the hug was desperate, almost like he was afraid that if he let her go, she would disappear from his life forever. His arms wrapped tightly around her as he held her against him, his face burying into the curve of her neck.

"I want a life with you," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I don't want anything else."

His breathing was uneven as he held onto her.

"I want to be with you tonight. I want you in my arms. I want you to be mine."

His grip tightened.

"I want to marry you, Elise. I don't want anything else in my life as long as I have you."

The words came out between shaky breaths, his chest rising and falling uncontrollably as the fear he had been carrying finally broke through. The only thing grounding him was the warmth of her body against his, the familiar scent of her, the reminder that she was still there.

For a moment, Elise remained completely still.

But slowly, almost despite herself, her body softened.

Her hands hovered uncertainly before finally moving upward. Her fingers gently settled against his back, and she began to rub soothing circles over him.

The small gesture was enough to make Xavier freeze.

He pulled back slightly, looking at her as though he couldn't believe she was still allowing him to be this close.

And then, unable to stop himself, he leaned forward and kissed her.

Chapter 18

Elise's eyes slowly opened in the darkness of the room.

For a few moments, she remained still, simply staring down at the man holding her. Xavier was still asleep, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist as though even in his unconscious state, he was afraid she would disappear if he loosened his hold. His face rested close to hers, his soft breaths brushing against her skin, and his entire body remained curled around her.

She looked at him for a long time.

Her fingers slowly lifted, and she gently touched his face, tracing the familiar features she had come to memorize. Her fingertips moved over the corners of his eyes, the sharp lines of his cheekbones, the roughness of his stubble, and finally down to his jaw and neck. She held his face carefully, almost affectionately, as if she was trying to remember every detail of him before she had to let go.

Her eyes never left his.

The tears that gathered in the corners of her eyes remained there, refusing to fall, while she continued to look at him with a sadness she couldn't put into words. This was the man she had loved for so long. The man who had once made her feel like the most precious person in the world, even through the smallest things he did without realizing their meaning.