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She stared.

Harder this time.

Stripping me all the way back to pain.

Then she released the handle and turned away… leaving the door open.

I could barely move. Yet, somehow I did. One step across the threshold, then another and closed the door behind me. Silence filled the room. Not empty silence. Hers. Mine. Everything we’d refused to say packed into the space between us. I would’ve given anything for her to scream at me.

Tell me to go.

Tell me she hated me.

Anything but this.

She stopped, then turned.

I stopped. Her gaze dropped to my mouth. Mine to hers. She saw it. Anger flashed in her stare and that only made me ache for her more.

She took a step toward me. Small. But enough. Her hands caught the front of my shirt. Small fists crushed the fabric before she yanked me toward her. I stepped. Closed the distance. But I didn’t touch her. Didn’t reach. Didn’t take. Whatever she wanted from me…she could have it.

Hit me.

Scream at me.

Kick me out the fucking door.

Anything.

Her grip tightened. She pulled me lower. Closer. Then stopped. Our mouths almost touched. Her breath struck mine. Warm. Uneven. I could see everything in her eyes from here.

Anger.

Hurt.

And beneath both…

Hunger.

My hands curled into fists at my sides. Every instinct screamed at me to touch her. I didn’t. Not this time. She wanted choice. Then choice was what she’d fucking have. Her gaze dropped to my mouth. Returned to my eyes. Testing me.

I stayed exactly where I was. Her fist tightened once more. Then she closed the final inch. Her mouth hit mine. Hard. Every restraint I’d been holding onto fractured. Not completely with her. My hands moved. One found her waist. The other slid into her hair as she moved closer, giving me nowhere to go and no fucking reason to want to.

There was nothing soft about the kiss. Teeth. Breath. Anger. Her fingers dragging at my shirt as though she couldn’t decide whether she wanted me closer or wanted to tear me apart.

I understood.

I felt exactly the fucking same.

She broke away. One sharp breath.

Then she came back.

Harder.

I followed this time. She retreated a step. I took one. Her eyes never left mine. Neither did mine. This wasn’t forgiveness. I knew that. Whatever this was… it was hunger with nowhere else to go.

Then something changed.