Page 145 of The Moral Dilemma

He grunts.

“You did really good, Nikki. Thank you.”

He doesn’t answer as he takes the shirt I’d previously discarded, offering to help me put it on. I accept his help, and I try to ignore the way my nipples tighten, my skin covered in goosebumps. He tries to ignore it, too—I can tell. It’s almost as if he forces his gazenotto stray to that area, realizing that it’s making me uncomfortable.

After I’m dressed, silence descends between us.

“It’s the first time you’ve seen my marks,” I note softly.

“You’re beautiful, Luce,” he says, his voice trembling with sincerity. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’veeverseen. Never doubt that.”

I blink in surprise.

“You… mean that?”

He smiles.

“You’re the only thing that’s been keeping me alive until now. The thought of seeing you again carried me through my darkest moments.”

“I—” I bite my lip as I study him. “I don’t know what to say, Nikki.”

“You don’t have to say anything now,” he murmurs, stepping closer and touching his forehead to mine. He inhales deeply, and I can feel his breath on my lips. “I’ll help you with your plan. But after, you’re coming with me,” he states.

“I am?” My voice wobbles, warmth spreading through my limbs.

“You are. Now that I’ve found you again I’m never letting you go.Never,” he emphasizes, his words sounding both like a promise and a threat. In fact, there’s a slight edge to his tone, but it’s not something I pick up easily on. In my euphoria, I can only see him, here, with me. In my naiveté, I don’t ask any questions, simply satisfied with what he decides.

“We should go now,” I stammer, still caught in his intense gaze.

“There are ten more minutes until we need to leave,” he notes glibly, barely sparing a glance at his watch.

“But—”

“I’ve missed you, Luce. Tell me you’ve missed me, too,” he says in a low, anguished voice.

“Of course I missed you. You were my best friend, Nikki.”

His features darken.

“Your best friend?Justyour best friend?”

“I… Well…” I moisten my lips as I gaze up in his eyes. He’s so close… “Maybe a little more.”

“How much more,” he rasps, his deep voice sending a shiver down my back.

Suddenly, there’s no more physical pain. There’s only a light pulsation that starts from the center of my chest, traveling up and imbuing all my senses with an euphoria I’ve never experienced before—one that makes me even more lightheaded than blood loss.

“You must know I had a crush on you, Nikki,” I answer bashfully, my cheeks reddening.

“Justa crush?” He raises a brow.

“Maybe a little more.”

“How much more. Tell me, Luce. Spare me from this torment that I’ve been drowning in for the past two years. Tell me,” he murmurs, the cadence of his voice changed. It’s more suave, more… God, my face must be burning, and despite my injury, I don’t think I have a fever.

No, it’s him—only him. It’s his nearness when I’ve only dreamed about it before. It’s his voice that makes me melt with every syllable he utters. And it’s his intense gaze that has me pinned to the spot, so hungry and so desperate. It’s almost as if heisdrowning and I’m the only one that can save him.

“I was in love with you,” I confess.

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