Page 87 of Dirty As Puck
I swallow hard, the tight knot in my throat loosening slightly. My hands unclench, though my chest still pounds. Anger mixes with shock, awe, a hint of guilt.
I didn’t know. I had assumed she’d withheld information intentionally, but the proof is right here. The sacrifice, the time she’s dedicated, the relentless work she poured into protecting me. It’s undeniable and right in front of me.
Her voice softens, but the urgency remains. “I fought for you, Kai. Every step I took, I took because I care about you. Not the story. Not the headlines. Just you.”
I look at her then, fully, really seeing her for the first time in days. She looks determined, exhausted, but unbroken. And in that moment, the walls I built around my heart start to crack. My anger lingers, but it’s tempered by my recognition of her courage.
The truth lands like a weight being lifted. I can’t speak yet, but I feel it, the beginnings of understanding, of forgiveness, of something I thought I’d lost forever.
I study her face, trying to reconcile the truth she just laid before me with the fury and heartbreak I carried for days. Her eyes are wide, earnest, holding nothing back, and I notice the faint bags under them, proof of sleepless nights spent probably gathering this information.
“I…Kai,” she begins, her voice low but unwavering, “I fell in love with you. Which is why this hurts so much.”
The words hit me like a sudden, clear bell. My chest tightens, and I falter, unsure if I should laugh or break down in tears.
I thought I had lost her, thought she had sided with Derek to destroy me. But this is different. She didn’t betray me.
I take a step closer, my hands trembling slightly. “You…love me?” My voice cracks, a mix of disbelief and awe. “Even when this destroyed your career? Your reputation?”
She nods, biting her lower lip, the fire of determination still burning in her eyes. “I’m still me with or without my job. I couldn’t let him win.”
My heart clenches, and I feel the weight I’ve carried for the past week begin to lift. The anger, the suspicion, the endless questions about who I could trust, it all starts to dissipate as I soak in the truth she’s just revealed. My chest swells with something I haven’t felt in days––relief and a sense of awe at the lengths she went for me.
I step closer, until we’re only inches apart, my hands brushing hers. The raw vulnerability in her gaze mirrors my own. I realize now how deep my reliance on her runs, how much I’ve missed her touch, her voice, her insight into me.
“I can’t believe… I thought we’d never speak again,” I whisper, voice catching. “You risked everything, lost everything…for me?”
She smiles faintly, exhausted but radiant. “I risked it because I love you, Kai. Not for my career or any personal gain. It was all for you.”
The words settle between us like a soft spoken promise. The tension, the betrayal, the weeks of fear, it all starts to dissolve.
I see the extent of her sacrifice clearly now, and it overwhelms me with both gratitude and longing.
In that moment, I know the truth, the depth of her loyalty, and I feel the first real surge of hope in what has felt like endless darkness for days.
The moment we step away from the gravestones, the tension that’s been building inside me for the past six days snaps.
I barely think before I’m pulling her into me, her body pressing against mine.
Her warmth hits me like a lifeline, and I can’t stop the desperate shaking in my hands as I cradle her face.
“Rochelle…” My voice cracks.
She murmurs my name back, tears slicking her cheeks, and I lose myself in the sound. I brush her hair from her forehead and inhale the faint scent of her shampoo.
Suddenly, all the anger, all the heartbreak, all the fear I’ve felt, it collapses into this moment.
Her lips find mine, urgent, needy, and I give in without hesitation. It’s not gentle or careful. It’s raw, as if six days of distance, six days of betrayal, can be erased in a single kiss. Her hands clutch at my jacket, then slide under my shirt, and I shiver against her touch, tasting the salt of her tears mingled with mine.
I pull her closer, pressing her against the hood of my car. Her body molds to mine perfectly, like she was always meant to be here, in my arms, where nothing else matters.
The trembling in my fingers turns into heat, my lips trailing along hers and down her neck. She gasps, shudders, and I lose all thought of restraint.
We moan into each other, whispering fragments of apology and relief. I feel every ounce of the pain we’ve carried melt into desperate need, the unspoken words of longing felt in our touches.
Her hands roam my back, and I can’t get close enough, can’t hold her tight enough to make up for the days we were apart.
Finally, after what feels like both an eternity and a heartbeat, I pull back just enough to press my forehead to hers. She’s trembling against me, breathless, and I can feel the echo of her heartbeat in my chest.
