Until You Say Stop

or a long time a

, Adrian's hand still resting on your shoulder l

n't loo

inally whisper,

shifts in

quietly, "when I was still learni

bl

accident," you say,

nswers. "S

wa

o explanation

nd. Slowly

walk

don't

standing in front of the east wing hallw

s q

qu

efore your permi

ht spills through it-dim, golden, laced

it open j

fr

n's i

al

fireplace, hands in his pockets

sed over the other, her robe slipping just far enough to

of them

to win you ba

is low. "You

kind. Not crue

ad the version of you no

ng p

u had the version of m

doesn

s, walks

hould

you

voice silk-wrapped steel.

n at her, ey

you ran,

had

chose

her

ke me,"

"I showed you what

tween them-old, burni

ana rea

s his

o

ere

's stil

sn't s

an anything-tell

isn't

ever

before either

u return to your room, but yo

derstand something

come back t

remind him who

wo

already r

on't

use you'

ke in a way you ha

her certainty. Her poise. The way she looked at Adrian li

you kn

sa

what was

ween them isn

er bur

lit in your room, even though the night is warm. The flames cr

uld hat

hould

you

was never a

ever

ause you thought it would

w you

offer that p

was

at you like you

made surrender sou

be broken-only how long you'd last bef

one lig

ess

ri

the libr

nctua

war

mmand, li

you

hat else

eading the glass like fingerprints. The fire in this room

e the

u

ce. There's something unreadable in his expression-contro

g the seconds you'll survive in

et his

on't

ot to go down

ay no

eps f

you dis

you say

of you want

's tied around your thr

you in thre

bout Liana?" he asks,

u

ut to tilt your chin up with just

ver," he says. "

swal

s. She reflected who I could

t starts

ou lov

yes f

says. "I

ke a b

The way I was taugh

and like a

ot a

th inches from yours, hi

tract because I wanted yo

drops ev

e parts of you that d

fr

this isn

even ob

str

realized somet

ring you here t

here to see if

s smaller, th

chin, but the heat lingers, li

eans - what parts of you he

ds catch in

u only brea

e in the way he looks at y

ng for you to surr

he says softly, as if

you like smoke, wrapp

nt to

d

g part of you

ct was nev

re alw

- the space between

trapped

capa

time, you wonder

yes d

o needs me because she s

e is a l

eeds me because she can

reath

nakes down

hat he's

owne

end

rav

ddic

already dro

, throwing shadows that dan

ant t

fig

reak

feet do

w this war has

already a b

words and tangled desire. Adrian's presence looms close, a storm b

s obsession, the calculation beh

like gravel grinding against silk. "That this contr

r pulse hammers loudly e

ontinues, "Selena. It's t

h you, searching for th

't know where you end

and that terrifies you

hat paper?" he asks, stepping back, hands in

tion that made your hands trem

ht you were buying freedom

r. "I thought I w

to something close to

freedom you w

you

n wh

hesi

inally. "I wanted co

you, eyes

ion," he says. "Espe

husky growl that sends a shi

e to me

ur cheek-not gentle,

glass with s

the tru

of your past, the p

ys. "I want the woman who can st

o that?" you ask,

e says

don't want to

g until it's only the two of you,

says, voice a whisper

eans you have

wallo

m too afra

the distance until you can feel

be the reas

t, fingers curling around y

t to pu

ant t

trays you, leani

e steel and fire,

, intoxicat

you break, ev

never b

action - and for a moment, you gl

e murmurs, "was my first l

n the word chaos, l

ded - the proof that I could be dest

weight in hi

t it work?

atly. "She fought to keep pieces of herself

ce stretches

u?" you

as just learning how to own

stud

built walls around his heart so h

ow and steady, "you were never me

aise

t th

g into yours. "Not because you signed a contract, but because

t you harder

h the obsession and control, there's

his isn't jus

a t

nmaking and remaking

gain, a sharp sound

caught in a dangerous dance ne

heartbeats a wild rhythm,

's hand slips f

teps

he says, voice barely

r has only

weight of his words s

ip and surrender, the stakes ar

l you sa

is n