Page 58 of Sweet Obsession

“I’m not kind.”

I narrow my eyes. “I thought we were agreeing to know our own minds.”

Icarus lifts his hands but lets them fall back to his sides in defeat. “We are. You’re just…you’re seeing an idealized version of me.”

“No, I’m not.” I don’t know how to get him tounderstand. “I don’t see the idealized versions of people. I see what I have evidence to see. You may be capable of monstrous things, but that doesn’t make you a monster. It doesn’t mean you’re not worthy of love.”

“Love,” he says faintly. He scoffs. “Love doesn’t exist.”

“You love your sister.”

“That’s different.”

“Yes, but it’s proof that love exists.” I can’t quite contain my agitation, so I push to my feet and cross my arms over my chest to keep from fidgeting. “I’m not saying what I feel for you is love, butit could be. Itwillbe if we live long enough.”

“Poseidon…”

“Mypointis that the future is one I’m willing to work for and reach a compromise about that makes both of us feel good. But I fully intend to be an active participant in that conversation—and expect you to be one as well. You don’t get to make sweeping generalizations. I’ll resist doing the same. Understand?”

“But—”

I swallow hard. “You’ve been forced into too many relationships throughout your life. I won’t be another one to hurt you with my selfishness. If all you want is sex and your freedom, I understand.”

“What?No.” He crosses to me in a rush. “That’s not what I’m saying at all.”

“Icarus.” I feel like I’m drowning. I don’t want him to end this, but I don’t know how to say that without it coming across the wrong way. “Whatareyou saying?”

“Fuck, I don’t know what I’m doing.” He drags his fingers through his hair again. He looks actually tormented. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. I never bargained on you, on feeling…”

That makes two of us. “If it helps, I don’t know what I’m doing, either.”

He sucks in a breath, pauses, and exhales slowly. “That does help, actually.” Icarus smiles a little, though he’s clearly still frazzled. “I just… I’ve never been in a real relationship where I didn’t have a goal in mind. Which is really fucking sad, but there it is. I don’t know how to do this.”

“I don’t, either. I’ve never been with anyone like you.”

“There’s no one else like me, big guy.” His attempt at humorfalls a little flat, but I think it’s a good sign that he’s trying.

I carefully take his hands. “We can figure it out. Together. If you want to try. With me.”

Icarus searches my expression. I don’t know what he sees. I’ve never been particularly good at hiding my thoughts; something I’ve never had cause to be grateful of before now. I want him to see how confident I am that we can make this work, how much I care about him…how I’ll force myself to let him go if that’s really what he needs.

“Together,” he repeats slowly. “I guess that’s a fair ask.”

“Only if you want to.”

This time, his smile is smaller, but significantly steadier. “I do want to try, Poseidon. With you. Even if it seems impossible right now.”

I slowly pull him closer until he slides his hands up my chest to loop around my neck. It feels good. It feelsright. “Then we’ll try.”

He hugs me tightly. “Promise me that you’ll stay safe tonight,” he whispers. “Promise that you’ll come back to me.”

“I can’t promise that without lying.” I brush a kiss to his forehead. “But I promise to try.”

31

Icarus

I don’t know what to say to Poseidon. It feels like I’ve been in this strange new territory for days on end, something new accosting me every time I turn around. Tender care. Open communication, even if it’s uncomfortable. Sex unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. No wonder he’s talking about a potential future—he’s falling just as hard and unexpectedly as I am.

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