Page 92 of Edge of Control

I gently nudged Luke off my lap. Stood. Took another drink of my tequila, letting it burn its way down my throat. I hadn’t had dinner today, so the alcohol was already having a prominent effect. My limbs felt loose, my head light.

The balcony called to me. The view of the city glittered like a framed painting. There was a storm on the horizon, blotting out the full moon that occasionally tried to fight itsway through. The glass door was open, letting in a gentle draft. I slid the door open further and stepped outside.

Theo followed me. We stood in silence. He was inches away from me.

“You’re not cold?” I asked.

“No, not at all.” I shot him a look just as he tried to suppress a shiver. He smirked at me. “Alright, maybe a little.”

“Where do we go from here, Theo?”

“I don’t know. I wish I could tell you, but I can’t. All I know is that I want you by my side, wherever that is.”

This was twisted. This was toxic.

This was what I wanted.

Theo reached for my hand. I gave it to him. Our fingers locked together. His palm was soft, warm. Silence returned, broken by the sounds of the city that drifted upward toward the starless sky.

That was it. The Nevermore saga was over, the blackmail ring dismantled. It may not have been done in exactly the right way, but at least I hadn’t failed. Did it really matter how one reached the finish line so long as they crossed it?

Maybe. But it wasn’t my place to figure that out.

“Come,” Theo said, his hand squeezing mine. “Let’s go inside. I’ll draw a bath. We can soak. Relax. Get rid of tonight.”

I smiled, an action that felt odd to perform. As if my facial muscles had forgotten how to curve my lips. “That sounds good.” Before Theo went inside, I leaned in. I kissed him. Hard. He encased my face with his hands, his tonguefinding mine. I pressed my body against his. I could taste the tequila, taste the relief, the connection, the bond.

I wrapped my arms around his waist, drawing him in. This was all I wanted. How could I ever let this go?

Theo had the potential to destroy me; instead, he healed me. I trusted him in ways that didn’t make any sense.

“How do I know I can trust you?” I rested my forehead against his and shut my eyes.

“Because I’ve never lied to you. Because, regardless of how fucked-up my actions have been, I never once wanted to hurt you. I’ve fallen irrevocably in love with you. A love I never even realized existed. I want to protect it—you—at all costs. It’s why I rushed to Marielle’s to save you. It’s why I was ready to give myself up to my father so you could escape. I just want you protected, happy. You can trust me.”

I opened my eyes. “How did you know I was at Marielle’s anyway?”

Theo blinked. He turned toward the city. “I had Find My Friends active on your phone. I used that to find you.”

“Shit… so you were tracking me?”

Theo wrung his hands. He squeezed his elbow. “It was to keep you safe. But I understand how it looks. I’ve deactivated it on my end, and you can turn it off, too. I should have asked you. I should have. But that mistake was what helped me save your life.”

I rubbed my face. Sighed. Fucking hell. Why did I still believe him? “Is there anything else you want to come clean about?”

Theo paused. I could see him biting on his lower lip. My heart dropped.

“Yes… early on, when I was talking to you, I was also… I snuck into the office building next door to you, and I watched you. From the window. I can’t hide that from you. I can’t hide anything from you.”

I took a few steps backward. I was speechless.

“I’m telling you this so that you can see that you can trust me, Jace. I’m committed to being a better person, and I want you to witness that transformation. I want to do it for you.”

“You have to do it for yourself.”

“Jace…”

“You stalked me.”

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