Page 57 of Wreckage

He sighed and looked away momentarily before drawing his attention back to me.

“Because I’m scared I’ll never get another chance. I don’t want todie, and you never know that I gave a shit and cared about you. In the same vein, I also don’t want to get rescued, and you walk away, and we go back to the way things were. I don’t want that, not now that I’ve tasted you. Experienced you.”

His words made my heart flutter.

“Is that a good enough answer?” he asked.

I nodded wordlessly. He smiled and carried on asking me questions. I could tell he was trying to make up for lost time now. Trying to fill the gap of all the years he had spent ignoring me. We went on for the better part of an hour learning about one another.

At some point, the conversation turned deeper.

We talked about my mom. About Steve. About the past.

“I miss my mom,” I admitted.

“I miss her too,” he replied softly. “She was a good mom. Better than my own. She was always happy, and my dad loved her so much. I wish she were still with us.”

My eyes stung at his words. He wasted no time brushing my tears away.

“Don’t cry, pretty girl. I didn’t mean to make you sad.”

“It’s not you,” I said, sniffling. “It’s just, I always thought you hated her like me.”

“Oh fuck, baby,” he whispered, pressing a fierce kiss to my forehead. “No. Never. I swear to you never.”

He held me for a long time before pulling away. So quietly it almost hurt, I whispered to him the last thing I felt and needed to get off my chest.

“I’m sorry I ruined your lives by coming into it.”

Troy’s expression darkened.

I swallowed, my throat tight. “If I could go back and change it, I would. I just… I want you and Adrian to be happy. I’d give anything for that.”

Troy ran his knuckles along my jaw, his touch featherlight, but it sent a shiver through me.

“You didn’t ruin anything,” he murmured. “We did.”

I gave him a sad smile, my voice shaky. “It might not matter soon anyway. We might not?—”

Troy pressed a finger to my lips before I could finish.

“You’re not allowed to say ugly things like that,” he whispered fiercely. “You’re too pretty and kind to let such awful words come from your mouth, little dancer.”

I exhaled shakily, my chest tight with emotion.

Troy cupped my face, his thumbs brushing gently against my skin.

“I promise you,” he said, his voice steady, “I will figure this shit out. We’re going to be fine.”

I believed him.

I didn’t know if it was because I needed to believe in something or if it was because something in his eyes made it impossible not to.

I didn’t want to think about it any further. I didn’t want to ruin the moment we had.

Troy must have sensed it because he leaned in and kissed me gently once more like it was perfectly natural. Oddly, it did feel natural. I thought it might be awkward, but it just felt… right.

After a long silence, he whispered, “Sleep for me, little dancer. I want you to rest.”

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