Page 13 of Until You Break

He grits his teeth, looking up at me with a mixture of frustration and resignation. “Using God’s name in vain, Little Sinner? Tsk, tsk,” he says, his voice laced with humor even as pain twists his features. “Fuck, I… didn’t exactly plan on this part.”

I glance back, the sounds of voices echoing through the trees, the faint glimmer of flashlights weaving through the darkness as our captors close in. Dominic grabs my hand, his grip firm despite the pain in his eyes.

“Aria, listen to me,” he says, his voice soft but urgent. “You need to go. Now.”

“What? No!” I say, shaking my head. “I’m not leaving you. I can’t—”

“Yes, you can,” he insists, his tone hardening. “You have to. If you stay, they’ll take us both, and everything I did to get you out of there will mean nothing.”

I shake my head, my throat tightening. “I’m not leaving you.”

“Damn it, Aria,” he grits out, as he pushes himself upright. He’s swaying, leaning against a tree for support, but he reaches out, his hand cupping the back of my head as he pulls me closer. “I need you to survive this. I’ll fight them off, buy you some time, but you need to go, okay?”

I choke back a sob. “Please… I can’t leave you.”

He takes a shaky breath; his thumb brushing away a tear I didn’t even realize had fallen. Then he leans his forehead against mine.

“You wanted to see the beach, remember?” he murmurs. “To lie in the sand, listen to the waves… That’s waiting for you. But you have to go.”

I shake my head, tears blurring my vision as I press my forehead against his. “Not without you. I can’t—”

“Until you break, right? Isn’t that what you promised me? Well, Aria, I’m broken enough for the both of us. So go. Go before they find you.”

I can’t stop the sob that escapes me, the pain of it tearing through my chest as I cling to him. “Dominic, please don’t make me do this…”

He pulls back, his gaze meeting mine, raw and full of an ache that mirrors my own. Then he cups my face with both of his hands and I can see a fire smolder in his eyes.

“If you ever cared about me… even just a little, you’ll go and you’ll live that life. Just… let me go out knowing I did one good thing. Okay, Little Sinner? Promise me you’ll live.”

I bite my lip, struggling to hold back the flood of emotions. Every instinct tells me to stay, to fight with him, but I know he’s right. I know that if I don’t go now, we’ll both be lost.

I nod, even though it feels like my heart is shattering. “I… I promise.”

His hands slip from my cheeks, and he gives me one last, broken smile before he wraps his finger around my cross pendant and pulls it off. “Good girl. Now go.Run.”

I take a shaky breath, forcing myself to let go, to rise to my feet. I look at him one last time, memorizing every detail—his bruised face, his defiant smile, the way he’s still holding on, even now.

Then I turn, my heart shattering with each step as I run into the forest, leaving him behind.

“Fuck,” I hear him mutter and my heart breaks.

I don’t look back, not even as I hear him groan in pain behind me, not as I hear the sounds of footsteps approaching in the distance. I run, the weight of each step tearing me apart, but I run.

Behind me, I hear him shout, hear the muffled sounds of more footsteps, more voices. But I don’t stop. I push forward, ignoring the ache in my chest, the tears streaming down my face as I leave him behind.

I know I’ll never forget him, never forget the man who walked through hell and back just to keep his promise, to give me a chance at freedom.

Chapter eight

His Sinner - 5 Years Later

I step outside, themorning air sharp and clean, carrying that familiar pine scent I’ve come to crave. It hits me in waves, the crispness of the forest that surrounds my cabin, bringing with it a bittersweet ache I’ve never managed to shake.

I glance back at the place I’ve called home for four years now, small and isolated, tucked away where no one can find me unless they know where to look. I never went to the beach like Dominic begged me to, never saw the open waves stretching out into forever.

After everything… After I came back and couldn’t find him, I couldn’t bear the thought of going somewhere I dreamt of. Instead, I ended up here. Same city, but far from the life I once thought I’d have and all those dreams I’d clung to.

I confined myself to a cabin in the woods—something he wanted for himself.

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