Page 133 of Hyperspeed
“Kai—”
“I was a fucking idiot,” I said, cutting him off before he could argue. “A real asshole for saying I couldn’t handle you. There’s nothing about you that needs handling. You’re incredible, even if you do scowl like it’s your full-time job.”
I let out a shaky breath, my voice softening.
“But you’re perfect to me, rookie. Just as you are. And if you want to walk away, I won’t stop you . . . but please don’t. Don’t give up on us. I’ll do whateverit takes to fix this, to be someone who deserves you. Just . . . please don’t leave me. Not like this.”
Rev’s free hand landed on top of our entwined fingers. I was too scared to look, but when I did, I saw his tears. They made me panic, so I continued rambling.
“I don’t know if I deserve you, but I’m begging you to let me try. Let me prove that you’re worth fighting for, because losing you would break me in ways I can’t bear to think about.”
He stared at me, astonished, like he’d never expected my apology. Or maybe he had, but not like this, and that shattered something inside me. Stars, I’d drop to my knees and grovel at his feet if it showed him just how sorry I was. Sorry for what I’d said, for shutting him out when he’d needed me the most.
“Kai,” Rev said again, shuffling closer and eliminating the gap.
He leaned in and cupped my cheek, delicate fingers tickling the hairs on my jaw. He was so close, I could taste the sweetness of his breath, and all I wanted was to taste him.
“I’m sorry too.”
“Wait.” I gripped his wrist, feeling his rapid pulse under my thumb. “Why areyousorry?”
His skin glowed orange, and he worried his lip with a fang. “You didn’t ruin things. I thought I was injured, but I misjudged the situation. I . . .”
Rev exhaled, shaking his head like he was trying to get his thoughts in order. Then he straightened up, looking me right in the eye, gearing himself up to say something important.
“I’ve always felt alone.”
“But—”
“Kai.” He shot me a glare, but there was no spark. More habit than heat. “As much as your obnoxious personality has grown on me—”
I started to argue, but his lips found mine, stealing the words—and the breath—straight from my mouth.
“Like I was saying,” he murmured with a smirk. “You’re growing on me like a rash. But I need to get this out, so with all due respect, please shut the fuck up.”
I nodded, because if it meant he’d kiss me again, I’d never speak another word. For at least an hour.
“You already know parts of my story,” Rev said, his fingers tracing a slow line along my jaw. Not to comfort me, but maybe to soothe himself. “I’ve never had real friends, never had a relationship. I’ve never let anyone in, not really. Because in the end, everyone left.”
He paused, eyes distant. “Sometimes it was subtle, and sometimes they just . . . drifted. But mostly, it was because being close to the freak—the rare, endangered Iskari—was only fun for a while. I was a curiosity. A conversation piece. And when the novelty wore off, so did their loyalty.”
His voice softened to something almost bitter. “I think I stopped expecting anything different. People always found a reason to disappoint me, so I stopped trying. And yeah, I was lonely. Not that I’d ever admit it out loud.
“As you like to remind me, I’ve got a scowl for every occasion, and everyone just assumes I’m grumpy. But that’s the point,” Rev sighed. “It’s easier to keep people at a distance. If they can’t get close, they can’t let you down. They can’t decide one day that you’re not worth the trouble and walk away.”
His mouth twitched, almost a smile but not quite.
“Then this absolute prick shows up—loud, cocky, and so damn sure of himself. Tells me I’m gonna hurt someone if I keep driving like I’ve got a death wish. But he stuck around. Even when I pushed back, even when I was impossible, he kept coming back. Maybe just to piss me off, but maybe . . .” The lines on his skin flickered a beautiful shade of yellow. “Maybe he saw something in me worth staying for.”
“Was this absolute prick handsome, at least?” I leaned in, resting my forehead against his.
Rev laughed, lighter than I’d ever heard it. Like he was shaking off years of weight he’d carried alone. I soaked it in, this fragile closeness blooming between us.
He was letting me in.
“He was very handsome, even if he was a bit of a tosser,” he mumbled, pressing a soft kiss to the tip of my nose. I preened, even as I rolled my eyes at the backhanded compliment. “It felt good getting close to you, Kai. For the first time, I had someone to turn to. Someone who sawme, not just my rarity. And I liked it. I liked it more than I ever expected. I gave you all of my firsts, because how could I not?”
He paused. “Then everything fell apart. You were kind of a dick, yeah, but looking back, I get it. That day was hell for all of us. We were scared, angry, and grieving. But the thing is, you didn’t walk away. I did.”
