Page 148 of Altius
Snaking my hand around his waist, I tugged him away and shut the door.
“Didn’t realize you were so eager to shut me down,” he teased as we stepped onto the sidewalk.
“I’m not.”
“Yes, you are—you are!” Alijah pulled away, darting into the park, heedless of the chilly night air, his arms raised as if to embrace the fragile crescent of the moon. He set a brisk, almost sprightly pace toward a grove of trees.
I hurried to catch up. Why were they all tall except for Wyatt?
Fuck, fuck, fuck,I berated myself internally. I had to stop lumping the five of them together. Especially not Alijah with Wyatt and Cal.
Because the term trio was far too close to pack.
“Give me one reason,” Alijah’s voice flitted between the shadows. “One solid reason to give up on us.”
I turned in place, scanning my surroundings, frustrated by his childish jaunt and my limited night vision. The trees stretched endlessly, their long limbs casting eerie patterns in the faint moonlight.
Deciding there was no use in chasing him, I leaned against a leggy pine, its rough bark biting into my palms.
“I hurt people,” I called into the void.
His teasing laughter echoed through the trees. “Then hurt me. If that’s what it takes.”
Anger surged, hot and sharp.
“This isn’t a joke,” I snapped, my tone rougher than intended.
Then again, it matched how I felt—grating, raw, and harsh. So very harsh.
Why couldn’t he understand I was doing this for his benefit?
“Jenna didn’t talk to me foryearsbecause I traumatized her.” The words spilled out, tumbling into the darkness. “And I wasn’t lying when I said I can’t remember how things with Wyatt ended. I can’t remember anything about the first three months after my accident. Nothing. Including that I went off on him. Told him he was worthless. A disappointment. That I never wanted to see or hear from him again. To get lost.”
My breath hitched. I pressed my back against the tree, closing my eyes against the sting of tears, trying to keep from spiraling further.
“Imagine what it was like for me. Waking up in the hospital, scared and angry, and wanting so badly to talk to my scent match—and he was just…gone.” Tears slipped out, hot against my chilled skin. “Because I hurt him too badly.”
When I opened my eyes, I discovered Alijah’s silent form standing nearby, observing my meltdown from the deepening gloom.
Those black eyes, even darker than the surrounding night, bore into me. His handsome face reflected all the regrets I carried.
“Ten years, Alijah,” I whispered. The strain in my voice bared the scars left by my hellish wait for forgiveness. “Ten years of guilt. And I can’t—can’t hurt someone I care about again. Not when you deserve all the happiness in the world.”
Alijah closed the distance between us, his gentle hands cradling my face, tipping my head back to receive his kiss.
Sweet, undeserved absolution.
“I wasn’t joking,” he murmured against my lips, his breath warm and steady. “Hurt me—at the top of your lungs, without reservation—so long as you do it with your whole heart.”
Tears gathered in his eyes, as precious as diamonds. I couldn’t let them fall. I wasn’t worthy. Framing his cheekbones with my hands, I brushed his lashes with my fingers, my thumbs poised to catch every tear.
“You’re too good for me,” I insisted softly. “Too kind and funny and beautiful—everywhere. So beautiful.”
“That’s exactly how I feel about you, Morgan.”
The kiss I hoped to repel instead sought to claim me. His orange scent, ripe with hope, overwhelmed my senses. Allowing me to bask in Alijah’s sunshine, even in the middle of the night.
“Please,” he said, voice heavy with yearning, “please. Date me. Let me make you laugh. And make you dinner. Cuddle withme while I watch TV. Let me sit with you at night, listening to podcasts while you work. Be beautifulwithme.”
