Page 51 of Atlas Uncharted

Without a word, I crushed my lips against hers. This wasn’t gentle. This wasn’t soft. This wasn’t the weak kiss he'd given her. I wanted to erase him from her mind completely. She was mine—mind, body, and soul.

She kissed me back, but there was hesitation. She wanted to fight it, wanted to deny the pull between us, but I could feel the truth—the way her body reacted, the way she leaned into me just enough to betray herself. She could lie to herself all she wanted, but I knew better. She wanted this as much as I did.

I pulled back the moment I felt her body melt into mine, going soft in my arms, leaving her breathless.

Leaning in close, my breath hot against her ear, I whispered, “Goodnight, Kairi. You can have the room tonight. Sleep well, baby.”

Chapter 36

Atlas

I didn’t sleep all night. My mind kept running circles around that kiss—the way Davis touched her, the way she let him, like I wasn’t even there. I didn’t sleep all night. My mind kept running circles around that kiss—the way Davis touched her, the way she let him, like I wasn’t even there. He'd earned something from her I never had, and I had no one to blame but myself.

We needed to talk. I pushed myself up from the floor in Dion’s room. My muscles were sore, coiled tight from the awkward position I'd been in for hours. Dion was still fast asleep; he probably would be for another hour at least. I had time to talk to Kairi. I needed to begin to fix what I’d broke before another day passed with us trying to break each other.

I made my way to our room, quietly pushing the door open. Kairi was still in bed, her hair sprawled across the pillow, eyes closed like she was sleeping—but I knew she wasn’t. I could feel it. She’d been restless too.

“Kairi,” I said softly, keep my voice even, I didn’t want to rile her again. I walked to the edge of the bed, sitting down. She shifted under the covers but didn’t open her eyes.

“We need to talk.”

She sighed, finally blinking her eyes open. There was no fire there this morning, just exhaustion. She sat up slowly, pulling the blanket tighter around herself as she glanced at me, wariness etched on her features.

“What now, Atlas?”

I took a breath, feeling the weight of everything between us. “I’m sorry.”

Her brows furrowed like she hadn’t expected me to say that. Like maybe she didn’t even believe it.

“I’ve been coming at this all wrong,” I continued, running a hand over my face. “I thought if I just pushed hard enough, if I forced my way back into your life, you’d eventually give in. But that’s not how this works, and I see that now. But I also want to add—you’re not a victim. We both did things wrong. So fucking wrong.”

She didn’t say anything, just watched me, waiting. I had to keep going. I had to say the things I should’ve said a long time ago.

“I walked into this thinking you’d still be that girl from years ago. But that’s not fair to you. You’ve changed, and I need to understand that.”

Her lips parted, like she wanted to say something, but I kept talking before she could stop me.

“I’ve never prioritized you,” I said, the words tasting bitter because they were true. “You were right about that. I was so caught up in my own shit, trying to keep you and Ashlen in separate corners of my life, and I hurt you. I didn’t even realize it—or truthfully, I didn’t care to realize it back then. But I see it now.”

Kairi’s eyes softened.

“We need to stop playing this game,” I said, my voice firm. “I’m done trying to control everything. But I’m not walking away. Not from you, not from Dion.”

She was quiet for a long moment, her fingers playing with the edge of the blanket.

“You’re right. I’m not a victim. I’m angry, and I’ve been angry. I’ve been lashing out...because I’ve been hurt. I did this too.”

“We’ve both been wrong,” I said quietly. “But we can fix this.”

Kairi looked up at me, her eyes searching mine for a long moment. I could see the doubt still lingering there. Still, she nodded slowly. “Okay. But I’m not making any promises.”

“I don’t need promises,” I said, leaning in closer. “I just need a chance. Can you give me a chance to make this better?”

She nodded again.

Dion’s soft cries from his room broke the moment, and Kairi tossed the blanket aside. “I’ll get him,” she said, slipping out of bed.

I watched her go, wondering if things would actually change. I followed her out the door seconds later. I needed to call my lawyer and check on my divorce.

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