Page 225 of Fractured Devotion
Her breath catches sharply. “I’m not your redemption,” she whispers.
“Good,” I reply, my voice rough and steady. “Because I’m not looking to be saved. I just want the truth between us. No more lies. No more hiding.”
Her throat moves as she swallows hard. “And if I can’t give you that?” she asks, her voice fragile but direct.
I tighten my grip just enough to make her feel the weight of the answer. “Then we’ll make something honest out of the ruin. Together.”
She stares at me, something breaking open in her gaze, all the fight bleeding into something rawer.
Her fingers curl around mine.
Not a flinch.
Not a retreat.
A choice.
And for the first time, I see it clearly in her eyes.
She doesn’t want to run anymore.
And neither do I.
The door is open.
And neither of us is stepping back.
The air between us shifts, warmer now, but still trembling with everything unsaid.
I keep my hand over hers, steady and sure, feeling the way her fingers tighten around mine.
She doesn’t speak.
But she doesn’t let go.
I lean in just enough that my forehead nearly brushes hers. “Come with me,” I say, my voice tender but certain.
Her eyes flicker, but she doesn’t pull away. “Where?” she asks, the word barely a whisper.
“Wherever we need to go,” I answer.
A faint, fragile breath escapes her lips, but something in her gaze shifts, softening and letting me in.
She knows I mean it.
I stand slowly, my hand never leaving hers, and she follows, rising from the chair with a gentle grace that feels like surrender.
We walk out of the bakery together, silent but in step, her hand still curled around mine.
Outside, the street hums with life, but it feels distant, muffled under the weight of everything between us.
We reach her apartment and stand in front of the stacked boxes waiting by the door.
“You were really going to leave,” I murmur.
She glances at the boxes, then back at me. “I still can,” she replies, but there’s no conviction behind the words.
I step closer, my voice deep and firm. “Then tell me to walk away. Tell me you don’t want this. And I will.”
