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She flinches, but doesn't recoil, her breath hitching at my confession. It’s a raw moment, suspended in time where everything lays on the line. In my gaze, she must see the naked truth.
The silence stretches, taut as a high wire. Then, slowly, a transformation begins within her eyes. The anger softens, dissolves, replaced by something more dangerous, more intoxicating—understanding. She gazes back at me, and it's like she's peeling back my layers, seeing into the very marrow of who I am.
"Even your future?" Her voice is a ghostly echo of hope, and my heart clenches tight enough to pain.
"Especially my future. I have no future without you," I vow, the words slicing through me, because I mean them. Mean them more than I've meant anything in my life.
Her eyes widen, and there's this flicker, this flare of something profound. Something like reckoning. She's always been invisible to everyone else, a shadow flitting on the edge of their vision. But I saw her. God, did I see her. Every detail, every frown, every smile—I hungered for them all.
"Stalking me..." she starts, the word heavy between us, then trails off, her gaze never leaving mine. It’s a dark dance, us circling the truth of what I’ve done. But it's out there now, hanging in the air, a sin confessed.
"Yeah," I admit, the shame a bitter pill. "But not to hurt you. To be near you, because being away was like suffocating. You're my oxygen, Autumn."
"Everyone wants to be seen," she whispers, almost to herself, her hands finally coming to rest lightly on my chest. There's a tremble in her fingertips that matches the quake in my bones.
"Then let me show you," I plead, voice husky with need. "Let me show you every day, every minute, how much you mean to me."
"Show me," she challenges, her voice stronger now, her stance emboldened even as vulnerability clings to her like a second skin.
"Forgive me," I say, the words a prayer, an oath.
Her lips part, and for a heartbeat, I think she'll deny me, cast me back into the cold. But then she nods, once, sharp and decisive. "I forgive you, Brennan."
And just like that, my world rights itself. Her forgiveness, her acceptance—it's redemption and damnation all rolled into one. I pull her close, our bodies aligning with a magnetism that's undeniable, elemental.
"Thank you," I whisper against her hair, breathing her in. I’m consumed by her, by the rightness of her in my arms. My future is hers now.
Sheismy future.
EPILOGUE
One Year Later
Brennan
My heart hammersagainst my chest, a relentless rhythm that only matches the beat of the city beneath us. The night air is crisp, her hand warm in mine as I lead Autumn to the rooftop. It's our hidden sanctuary above the restless world.
"Close your eyes," I whisper, and she complies with a trusting smile that stirs something primal inside me.
I guide her steps, slow and deliberate, among the flickering candles that cast dancing shadows across the dark expanse. The skyline sprawls out like a canvas splattered with starlight and neon—a backdrop for this moment.
"Open them," I say, my voice rough with emotion. Her soft brown eyes flutter open, taking in the scene, the intimate glow illuminating her delicate features. She gasps, a sound that grips my soul and refuses to let go.
"Autumn," I start, my throat tight, "from the moment I saw you, there's been no one else. You're the calm to my storm, the peace in my chaos."
I drop to one knee, feeling every muscle tense, the gravel beneath us a stark contrast to the softness in her gaze. From my pocket, I retrieve the ring—a circle of promise—and hold it up to her.
"Will you marry me?" My voice is a plea, a vow, everything I am laid bare.
Her eyes widen, eclipsed by surprise, the city lights mirrored in their depths. Her voice catches, a hitched breath that says more than words ever could. "Yes," she whispers, and the word is a key turning inside me, unlocking a future I'd only dared to dream.
I kiss her with all the love and passion and obsession I feel for her. If anything my obsession for her has only amplified since she gave herself to me solely.
I hoist her into my arms, her legs wrapping around me so she can feel how hard my cock is for her.
Her gasp is audible, and my breathing ragged as the chill from the wind disappears.
"I will cherish you always," I murmur against her neck, nipping softly before kissing the underside.
