Page 23 of Until You Break

And even as he fades into the dark, even as I feel him slip away, I hold onto the sound of his voice, the warmth of his touch, clutching his hoodie close as I drift into the quiet peace of sleep, wrapped in the only piece of him I have left.

Chapter sixteen

Her Ruin

I watch her fromthe shadows of her bedroom, where the faint light slipping through the window casts a soft glow over her face. She’s deep in sleep now, curled up beneath the blankets, her hand clutching the front of my hoodie like it’s the only thing keeping her anchored.

And hell, seeing her like this—wrapped up in something that once belonged to me, something I left behind all those years ago—hits harder than I expected.

I can’t believe she kept it. Part of me thought she’d have thrown it out, tried to purge every trace of me and what happened. But no. She kept it. Held onto it like a piece of me, like it was a reminder she couldn’t let go of, even after all this time. I feel a smirk tug at the corner of my mouth.

Just like I fucking planned.

Leaving little pieces of myself for her to find, making sure she couldn’t forget me, even when I wasn’t there—that was always the plan. I needed to haunt her, to dig myself so deep intoher mind, her memories, that I’d never be anything less than a shadow at the edge of her thoughts.

Now, here she is, still wearing my hoodie, her face peaceful and innocent in sleep, even though I know the darkness she keeps buried. My Little Sinner.

I step closer, moving soundlessly, every muscle tense as I let my hand reach out, brushing a knuckle down her cheek. Her skin is warm, soft, a stark contrast to the roughness I’ve grown accustomed to, and I feel a strange possessiveness burn hotter in my chest.

She doesn’t wake, just shifts slightly, pressing her face into the fabric of my hoodie, and I feel a twisted sense of pride. She’s wearing me like a second skin, holding onto me even in her dreams.

And soon enough, she’ll wake up, feel that empty ache, and know that I’m never far away.

“You don’t know it yet,” I whisper, my lips so close to her ear that I can feel the faint warmth of her breath. “But I’m going to ruin you, Little Sinner, until your darkness only answers to mine.”

I let my fingers linger one last time on her cheek, trailing down to the collar of the hoodie. It’s still too big on her, swallowing her frame. Fuck, I’ve missed her body.

Every inch of her was made to fit me. Her curves weren’t just soft—they were sinful, a temptation carved just for my hands. I remember how my fingers used to sink into her softness and the sounds she would make.

I close my eyes for a moment, letting the satisfaction wash over me before I pull back. If I stay here any longer, I’ll lose control and do something I’ll regret later on. She’s not ready for me, not yet.

I straighten, slipping back into the shadows, my eyes lingering on her one last time. I’ve waited years to touch her, to remindher who she still belongs to, and now that I have there’s no going back.

She may think she escaped, may think she’s free, but she’s wrong. I made sure she never forgot me; burrowed myself so deep into her mind, that just thinking about letting me go would feel like a fucking betrayal.

After resetting her alarm, I step outside, the cold night air bites at my skin. I breathe in, the scent of pine and earth grounding me, my mind already spinning with plans, with the next move, the next step to draw her closer.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, the vibration pulling me back to reality, and I pull it out, seeing Luca’s name on the screen.

“Is she ready?” Luca asks. He’s always been the one to keep me grounded, focused, making sure I don’t get too caught up in this…obsession.

“Not yet,” I reply, as I look back at the cabin.

There’s a pause on the other end, then a low chuckle. “She didn’t look like she would give up, even after we tried to scare her off.”

“Of course not,” I mutter, a smirk tugging at my lips. “All you did was dangle hope in front of her.”

“Matteo laid it on thick, he deserves a case of beer for pushing her so hard,” he says, and I hear him blow out what I can only assume is cigarette smoke. “How much of a push does she still need?”

“Not much,” I say, clenching my jaw. “One more visit from me should do it. The cross was a nice touch, though.”

“Just don’t break her completely unless you want her to run again,” he says with a sigh. “And keep your head on straight, little brother.”

Luca knows me well enough not to push, to know that when it comes to Aria, I’m not playing by anyone else’s rules. She’s mine,and I’ll do whatever the hell I need to make sure she remembers it.

“I’ll be fine,” I say. I don’t need him reminding me of what’s at stake. I know exactly what this costs, and know that I’m walking a line that could burn everything down.

But right now, I don’t give a damn. This is what I’ve been waiting for, the moment I’ve been planning since the day she left me standing in the ashes of what we were.

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