Page 101 of Promises in the Dark

We fell into a comfortable silence, the only sound the steady rhythm of our breathing. For a while, we just stayed like that, lost in the quiet comfort of each other’s presence.

“You know, I could get used to this,” I admitted brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

“Yeah, me too,” she murmured and snuggled closer to me, her body molding against mine.

“I could hold you like this forever,” I said, nuzzling her cheek.

“I wouldn’t mindthat,” she said softly, her fingers tracing lazy circles on my chest.

I tightened my grip around her, holding her just a little closer. “Neither would I.”

Gently, I ran my fingers through her hair, stroking her scalp, calming both of us. She lifted her head, looking up at me with a rare softness that almost made me forget who I was.

“By the way,” she added, “for someone who claims to be such a tough guy, you sure do give good hugs.”

I chuckled, giving her a crooked grin. “Yeah, well,” I replied, feeling the steady rhythm of her heartbeat against mine, “don’t go spreading that around. Might ruin my reputation.”

She laughed and reached up to lightly trace her fingers along the stubble on my jaw before trailing down to rest against my chest.

“Your secret’s safe with me,” she said, leaning in to press a soft kiss against my cheek.

We were both breathing heavily as we tangled our tongues together, the heat from our breaths colliding as we kissed. She tasted sweet, too sweet for someone who could get under my skin like this. Her eagerness drove me fucking wild—every kiss made my pulse hammer like I needed more, and more wasn’t enough.

But then, just as quickly as it began, the kiss ended, and Red removed herself from my embrace. That emptiness hit hard, a hollow feeling crawling in my chest as I watched her slip out of bed like I was nothing.

“What are you doing?” I asked, my eyes following her as she scooped up her clothes from the floor.

She avoided my gaze like it was poison. Her movements were stiff, mechanical, like she was just trying to get the hell out of there.

“I’m going,” she said, her voice cold and distant like she was a million fucking miles away.

“Going where?” I inquired, my voice betraying my annoyance.

She slowed down, pulling her bra on, still not looking at me. “Back to my quarters?” she mumbled, dodging what I really wanted to know.

I cocked an eyebrow and studied her carefully, every move she made set off warning bells in my head. “Cut the bullshit,” I said, folding my arms across my chest. “What’s really going on here?”

She swallowed, staring at the floor like it held all the answers she didn’t want to give. “I can tell you’re not comfortable with me sleeping in your bed, Rogue,” she confessed gently. “And I don’t want to make things harder for you.”

I squeezed the sheet in my fist, blaming myself for making her believe that I didn’t want her here, when the truth was far from that.

I was terrified of what might happen if she stayed.

“It’s not that,” I corrected her, keeping my eyes fixed on hers. “It’s the other part. The nightmares and the way my subconscious manifests them. The part where I... hurt you.”

The memories of that night were still fresh, eating away at me. I clenched my fists, squeezing my eyes shut to block out the images.

“And I don’t want to put you through that again.”

Red came closer and sat on the edge of the bed, her arms wrapped loosely around her chest as she looked up at me with those big, soft green eyes of hers that always made me want to fucking crumble.

“I’m not afraid of you,” she said quietly, reaching out to touch my face with one trembling hand. “But I wish I could help you.”

This woman... she was fucking different. She wasn’t scared of me. It was like she was immune to all the shit I threw at her, not running from the monster I was. She didn’t fear me. She wanted to help.

The urge to step back, to put distance between us, almost overtook me, but there was something deeper—this fucked-up need to let her in. To show her I wasn’t just this heartless asshole I pretended to be.

“Stay?” the words flow out slowly, filled with the ache of uncertainty.

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