Page 93 of Edge of Control

“I—I’m sorry.”

“Fuck, man. What the fuck?”

“I don’t have an excuse for my behavior except that I’d become infatuated by you. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He was close to tears. His voice trembled.

I pushed away from the railing. I had to put distance between me and Theo. Was I mistaken? A shiver crawled down my spine, and it wasn’t because of the chilly breeze whipping around the balcony. The storm loomed in the distance, its clouds black and heavy, blotting out the moon. It was coming closer, like everything I was trying to keep at bay.

Distant thunderclaps echoed between the skyscrapers. Lightning flashed inside the dark clouds.

I’d already let a man into my life and proven to myself how quickly it could all turn to shit. Theo had given mehope that maybe my heart wasn’t irreparably damaged, and yet, he had stalked me. Watched me without me knowing. I already knew what he was capable of, and honestly, he should have already crossed the line from “dateable” to “fuck no” a while ago.

This was so wrong. It was fundamentally messed up.

I knew what Theo Glass could do. A man like him could destroy me. He already had access to my life in ways I hadn’t even realized. Could I live with that kind of risk?

But… then why the fuck did I believe him? Why did I want to so desperately forgive him? He was telling me the truth. He was laying out all his sins on the table. What stopped me from absolving him? Giving him the chance to prove that he wasn’t as sinister as some of his actions made him seem?

Was I just as fucked-up as he was?

The damage was already done. And he didn’t lie to me about any of it. Granted, I had to ask him, but still, he confessed to it all.

I cupped my hands, leaned against the railing. Theo gave me space. I tried untangling my thoughts but was having a difficult time with it. Nothing made sense.

Logic was telling me to run.

Emotions were telling me to stay.

One side was winning out over the other.

I had a clear choice in front of me. I could walk away, cut him off, start all over again.

Or… “Theo, please. It’ll take me some time to fully trust you again, but please, promise me you’ll never do anything like that again. Please.”

“I do, I swear it.” His smile widened, his eyes crinkling at the corner. How could someone this bright have done such dark things? Humans were complex creatures. I couldn’t judge him. It wasn’t my place to drop a verdict on his head. I just had to hope I was making the right decision.

I reached for his hand. Theo lifted his up to rest it against my cheek, his thumb tracing soft circles against my skin.

I’m holding a paradox—the man who killed without mercy, yet cradles my face as if I’m fragile. I said I’d trust him, but trust is earned day by day. Can he see the fear lurking behind my eyes? I want to believe in redemption, but what if I’m wrong?

The silence was thick with forgiveness he wasn’t sure was deserved. As Theo pressed his forehead to mine, he whispered, “No more secrets,” and my chest ached with a tender, impossible hope.

“This is crazy. It’s so fucking crazy,” I said. Today had been long. Extremely long. I felt the exhaustion creeping in. Soaking in a tub right now didn’t sound bad at all. “Let’s go take that bath.”

I told myself this was the right choice. That love could be enough to fix something this broken. But deep down, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was stepping off a ledge, hoping Theo would catch me.

Please, Theo. Please catch me.

Chapter 35

Theo Glass

I felt like a new man.Like I’d been reborn. Given another chance.

Standing in my bathroom with Jace undressing felt like some kind of miracle.

No longer was I scared of being locked in here. I didn’t even care that the door was closed. It was like I’d been cured. My anxiety, my panic, it was nowhere to be found. All I could feel was the cool embrace of relief, bolstered by the warm touch of hope.

My life had completely changed in the span of a couple of hours.

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