Page 37 of Beautiful Scars: Unshakeable

Levi's hand glides down my arm, from shoulder to wrist, his touch featherlight yet deliberate, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. "You're in control, Sunny. Always." His thumb presses gently over my pulse, steady, reassuring.

The careful way they hold me, like I'm the most valuable thing in the world to them, makes my breath catch.

"What if I freeze up?" My voice wavers as the fear creeps in. "I've never done—I mean, I don't know if this is something I can actually do."

"We stop," they say in unison, their voices firm, unwavering. The certainty in their words unspools the tightness in my chest, easing the fear before it can dig in.

Zane leans close, his lips hovering just a breath away from mine, his warmth sinking into me. Behind me, Levi's mouth ghosts across my shoulder, his kiss tender—patient, unhurried.

"We'll go slow," Zane murmurs, his voice relaxed despite the tension simmering in his gaze. "You focus on what feels good. If something doesn't, we stop. But if something does…" His thumb slides across my cheek as Levi's mouth finds a sensitive spot on the back of my neck, sending a shiver through me. "Show us. Let us learn you."

Zane's lips brush across mine—teasing, testing, waiting. When I lean into him, seeking more, he deepens the kiss, slow and deliberate, like we have all the time in the world with each other. Behind me, Levi's mouth trails lower, each press of his lips pulling quiet sighs from my throat.

Levi's hand skims down my side, his touch a whisper over my skin, tracing the curve of my hip before coming to rest—warm and steady—across my stomach. The sensation of their touches makes my head spin.

Zane breaks the kiss, pulling back just enough to watch me, his eyes heavy with heat. He trails a single fingertip down between my breasts—barely there, but leaving fire across my skin. Before I can chase his lips, Levi's hand tilts my chin, turning my face toward his.

His kiss is nothing like Zane's. It's hunger and need—a storm barely held in check. Where Zane savored, tasting my mouth with slow reverence, Levi devours. His desperation tempered only by the sweet way he cradles my face. The contrast between them is staggering, and I'm held weightless between them.

"Beautiful," Zane murmurs, his lips finding the curve of my throat as Levi slowly releases me.

They take turns claiming my mouth, teasing out sharp gasps and deep sighs. Zane's fingers skim along my thigh while Levi nips softly at my ear.

"God, you're beautiful, Angel," Levi breathes into my neck, and I melt into his touch.

His hand slides higher, gliding across my stomach before slipping beneath my shirt—skin against skin, his fingers moving slowly. He lingers over the slightly raised edges of the scar that winds up my body.

And, everything stops.

The warmth of their touch vanishes, replaced with the feel of rough hands pinning me down. The soft press of Levi's palm becomes unyielding weight that steals my breath.

I'm not here.

I'm trapped.

The suffocating heat of a body crushing mine. The breath against my neck is rancid, sickening.

My muscles seize and lock into place. My lungs forget how to expand. The room fades, and my vision tunnels as I slip beneath the surface—yanked down into the dark.

I feel them go completely still and pull away. The sudden absence of their touch is a jarring loss that leaves me suspended between then and now, trembling, gasping for air that won't come.

"Sunny?" Levi's voice cracks with worry.

"I'm okay," I say, but my voice betrays me—thin, shaky, weak. "Just... give me a minute."

Zane's fingers graze over my cheek. "I think we need to stop—"

"No!" The word bursts from me, definite, desperate. "No, please. I want this." My eyes snap open, locking onto his gaze. "Just keep talking to me, okay? Keep me here with you. Don't let me go anywhere."

"Are you sure?" The concern on Zane's face matches his tone.

When I nod, Levi exhales softly, his warmth wrapping around me even though his hands stay carefully still. "We've got you, Sunny."

Zane's lips find mine again, warm and gentle, a lifeline pulling me back. "Stay with me, sweet girl," he murmurs against my mouth, each word grounding me a little more. "Stay right here with us."

I close my eyes for just a moment, but the darkness is right there waiting for me—pulling, threatening to drag me under. My breath falters.

Zane senses it instantly. His fingers catch my chin, tilting my face up, refusing to let me slip away.

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