Page 138 of American Beauty

I’m on him in seconds, careful of his leg, climbing into his lap like gravity’s been pulling me there all along. His arms lock around my waist, his face burying in my neck as I curl against him.

We don’t speak. We don’t have to.

His chest rises and falls against mine, erratic, like the weight of seeing me knocked something loose in him. My fingers sink into his hair, anchoring myself to the man who is my home.

“Babe, I’ve been losing my mind.”

I press my lips to his temple. “I’m sorry.”

We stay like that for a long while. Just breathing. Holding. Letting the world fall away.

My heart calms, and he pulls back just enough to look at me. His hands tighten at my waist. “Tell me everything.”

So I do.

I can feel it—Alex’s anger. The way his jaw locks. The way his hands flex beneath mine like they’re dying to be fists.

When I finish, his voice is low and wrecked. “I should’ve been there.”

“No,” I say, brushing his hair back. “You don’t get to do that. This isn’t your fault.”

His eyes flash with fury. “He’s obsessed with you because of me.”

I sigh. “Maybe it started that way. But it’s become something different now.”

“What do you mean?”

The words are heavy, but I owe him the truth. “He believes he loves me. Like, truly. In that twisted way that some people perceive love.”

Alex looks like he might break something.

“You’re staying here until we figure this out.”

I pause. Not because I’m resisting—but because I’m not used to being the one who surrenders.

“Okay.”

His brows lift, surprised.

“I’ve never been afraid like that of someone before.”

He squeezes me to him.

“Right now, I need to feel safe.”

He presses a kiss to my temple, fierce and full of everything he hasn’t said yet. “You are always safe with me, favorite.”

“I have a walk-through later this week. My only client. I’ll have to go back, at least for that.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.”

“I’m so tired. Can we go to bed?”

“Yeah, sure.”

He shifts, adjusting his leg, and I help him to the bedroom. We don’t bother undressing. We just climb under the sheets, limbs tangling, breath syncing. His arms wrap around me like armor, and I melt into him like I’ve been needing to all along.

It’s late. It’s quiet. For the first time in days… I feel safe. And for now, that’s everything.

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