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His story comes next, a tale of childhood fears conquered, of climbing to the highest branch of an old oak tree just to prove he could. With each shared secret, the space between us seems to shrink, the air charged with an electricity that's both exhilarating and terrifying.
Brennan's watchful eye doesn't miss a beat. When a drunken jock stumbles too close, spilling his drink and slurring apologies, Brennan's arm is a barrier before I can even blink. His protectiveness is fierce, a flame that burns all the brighter in the dim light.
"Careful there," he warns, his voice edged with steel, but his hand on my back is gentle, reassuring.
"Thanks," I murmur, my pulse erratic under the weight of his touch. The danger passes, but his closeness lingers, a promise of safety in a world that suddenly feels too big, too unpredictable.
"Stick with me," he says, and it's not a command—it's a vow, a silent oath etched in the intensity of his stare.
"Always," I find myself saying, and I mean it. In the depths of his blue eyes, I see more than the star quarterback—I see the guardian of my every heartbeat, the keeper of my newfound daring.
The night unfolds with us at its center, a dance of glances and whispered words, of laughter shared and boundaries crossed. And beneath it all, the undeniable truth that something dark and delicious has taken root, winding its way through our joined hands and entwined fates.
The world blurs, a dizzying whirlwind of laughter and slurred conversations. But he's my anchor in the storm, his presencea commanding force that stills the chaos within me. I watch him weave through the crowd to get us something to eat, each step deliberate, an unspoken claim to what others have yet to understand belongs to him—and maybe, just maybe, to me.
A shiver races down my spine as Brennan reappears by my side, his hand finding mine with a certainty that sends my heart into a frantic rhythm. My skin burns where he touches, a fire ignited by the brush of his fingers. He leans close, his breath hot against my ear, and the simple act fractures my restraint. "How you holding up, Autumn?"
"Better now," I confess, the words slipping out before I can cage them. The room fades, his cobalt gaze an ocean I'm drowning in willingly. It's dangerous, this dance of desire we're tangled in, yet I crave the burn, the way he looks at me like I'm the only one who's ever mattered.
"Good." His voice is a dark melody, a seduction laced with concern. "I've got you."
And I believe him—in this fragmented moment, I sense the shift, the insidious slide from wary strangers to something sweetly terrifying. A connection fraught with the promise of ruin or redemption—perhaps both.
He holds a cupcake to my mouth, and I take a bite, his eyes never leaving mine.
His hand cups my cheek, the touch searing yet tender, a contradiction that defines us. I lean into him, a magnetic pull that defies logic. Our lips hover, a whisper apart, anticipation a tangible thing between us.
"Autumn," he says, my name a prayer from his lips, "you have no idea how much I..."
The sentence hangs, unfinished, but I don't need the words. They're etched in the fervor of his gaze, the protective circle of his arms. I'm falling, tumbling headfirst into an abyss of longing and lust, anchored only by the boy—the enigma—before me.
Is this really happening, or am Ithatdrunk?
"Show me," I breathe, a challenge, a plea.
The corners of his mouth lift in a ghost of a smile, a hint of darkness that promises to consume and cherish me in equal measure. His thumb traces the line of my jaw, a gentle caress that belies the storm raging in his eyes.
"Patience," he murmurs, and the word is a caress, a velvet shroud that wraps around my senses. "All in good time."
The intimacy of the moment is raw, a bare nerve exposed to the elements. Yet, in the eye of the storm, in the quiet space he's carved out for us amidst the chaos, I find solace.
"Wait for me?" he asks, a vulnerability lurking beneath the surface of his composure.
"Always," I reply, and it's a vow, a knot tied with threads of newfound affection and burgeoning obsession.
He steps back, the loss of his warmth a sudden chill against my flushed skin. I watch him disappear into the throng, a silent guardian watching over me from afar. And I know, with a certainty that terrifies and exhilarates, that nothing will ever be the same again.
CHAPTER
FIVE
Brennan
The door clicks shut,sealing us inside the cocoon of one of the unused bedrooms. The bass from the party downstairs throbs through the walls, but it's like white noise compared to the rush of blood in my ears. Autumn's here, standing close enough for me to smell the sweet hint of her perfume, and suddenly, I'm hyper-aware of every breath she takes.
"Autumn," I rasp out, my voice betraying the storm that's brewing within me. She lifts those soft brown eyes to mine, and damn, there's an inferno in her gaze that mirrors my own burning need.
The space between us crackles with tension, desire so thick I could choke on it. Our eyes lock, heavy with unspoken promises, and for a moment, we're frozen, both yearning to close the gap.
