Page 29 of Cruel Hero

We fall silent. I study Adrien’s face, noting the pain etched in the lines around his eyes and the tension in his jaw. I reach out, my fingers ghosting along his cheek.

His eyes lock with mine. The air between us seems to crackle with tension, a mix of shared grief and something else... something electric.

“You know that you’re not at fault for what happened to your mother, right?”

Adrien looks away, his jaw clenching. “If I was not away at college—”

“You know what?” I interrupt, cupping his face and making him look back at me. “That’s not how it works. Life doesn’t follow the rules of a narrative, where one person’s actions can solely dictate the outcome of another person’s life. You are punishing yourself for something you couldn’t have prevented.”

He scoffs. “Are you actually saying that I—the person who has done so many mortally wrong things—deserve forgiveness? Or that I couldn’t have prevented most of them? I kidnapped you, for God’s sake, used you, and yet you expect me to forgive myself and move forward with my life?”

“Those are two separate issues. You may have made mistakes, but that doesn’t define who you are. And as for your mother, it’s not fair to blame yourself for her choices. You couldn’t have predicted or prevented what happened.” I run my fingers over his cheek. “I’m not telling you to forget or even forgive yourself. I telling you I forgive you for what you’ve done to me. I forgive you.”

“How can you forgive me? I’ve been horrible to you. I’ve orchestrated your uncle’s death.”

I don’t pull away. Instead, I tighten my hold on him, my fingers tangling in the fabric of his shirt.

“Because I see you. Not just the man who made those choices, but the man who’s trying to be better. The man who plays the piano to silence the noise in his head. The man who carries a yellow rose on his chest to keep his mother’s light alive. I see you, Adrien. And I believe in who you’re becoming.”

“Do you think I could get better?” he asks hoarsely.

“I know you can.”

Our gazes lock, and warmth spreads through my chest like the sun breaking through the clouds after a storm.

“Our pasts have shaped us in ways we can’t even comprehend. But it’s not about what happened to us; it’s about how we choose to rise above it. We can’t change the past, but we can shape our present and future. Do you want that, Adrien? Not for me, not for anyone else, but for yourself?”

Adrien swallows hard. “I want to be better,” he whispers.

“Then you’ll figure it out. One day at a time.”

We sit staring at each other until the sun rises, painting the sky with hues of pink and orange.

I lean in, drawn by an irresistible force. Adrien’s breath hitches, his eyes darkening with desire. Our lips meet, and it’s like a spark igniting a wildfire. The kiss deepens, passionate and hungry, months of longing and unspoken feelings pouring out.

My fingers tangle in Adrien’s hair as his arms wrap around me, pulling me closer. The world falls away, leaving only us, our shared pain transforming into a desperate need for connection.

“Tiffany,” Adrien breathes against my lips, his voice husky with want.

I respond by kissing him harder, pouring everything into it. My doubts and reservations vanish in the heat of our embrace.

Adrien’s hands roam my body, leaving trails of fire in their wake. He lifts me effortlessly, and I feel the cool surface of the piano beneath me as he lays me down. We intertwine, our bodies fitting together perfectly.

The melody of our breathing fills the room, harmonizing with the faint hum of the city outside. Adrien’s lips trail down my neck, each touch sending shivers through me. His hands are firm yet gentle as if he’s memorizing every curve, every inch of me. I arch into him, my fingers gripping his shoulders, grounding myself in the moment’s intensity.

“I can’t lose you again,” he murmurs against my skin, his voice raw with emotion. “Not after everything.”

I tilt his face up to meet mine, my thumbs brushing over the stubble on his jaw. “You won’t. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

His eyes search mine, and I see vulnerability there, a crack in the armor he’s rebuilt after I left him in Italy. It’s terrifying and beautiful all at once.

Our bodies move together in perfect harmony, every touch igniting new sensations. Adrien’s fingers trace patterns on my skin, sending shivers down my spine. I arch into him, desperate for more contact.

“God, Tiffany. You’re so beautiful.”

I run my hands down his back. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

Our laughter mingles with soft moans as we explore each other, rediscovering what we once knew and finding new territories. The piano keys beneath us occasionally sound, creating an impromptu melody that seems to match our rhythm.

---