Page 69 of F*ckboys

"Okay," he agrees, squeezing my hand gently. I can't help but focus on how comfortable my hand feels encased in his much larger palm, and how natural it feels to lazily stroll through the park together.

We continue on, passing by a serene duck pond where the water ripples with each movement of the swimming birds. I steal glances at Aksel, taking in the way the sunlight catches in his hair and the intensity of his eyes as he watches our surroundings. The desire to get closer to him, to feel his lips on mine, is overwhelming.

"Fallon," Aksel whispers, stopping in his tracks and pulling me close. I can feel his breath on my skin, and my heart races as I look up into his eyes—gorgeous gray eyes that seem to see straight through me.

"Kiss me," I whisper, unable to resist the magnetic pull between us any longer.

His lips meet mine in a tender, passionate kiss that sends shivers down my spine and sets my soul on fire. It's heady, intoxicating, and everything I've been craving since we last touched. As we break apart, panting and flushed, I know without a doubt that this moment will haunt me for days to come. The last time we met was primal, carnal lust. Just sex. But this is something way more. It's intense but gentle, tender but fierce.

"Fallon, what are we doing?" Aksel asks, his voice thick with emotion as we reach our cars, parked next to each other in the parking lot.

"I don't know," I admit, feeling more vulnerable than ever before. "But it feels right, doesn't it?"

"Maybe," he agrees hesitantly, his eyes searching mine for answers I can't provide.

With one last squeeze of our entwined hands, we part ways, both lost in a sea of confusion and unspoken desires. As I walk away from Aksel, I can't help but wonder if I'm making the biggest mistake of my life—or if I'm finally taking control of my destiny. I'm not sure where revenge factors into my relationship with Aksel, just that I want him.

Only time will tell.

Chapter 37

Aksel

Fallon's touch lingers on my skin, her scent clinging to my shirt. The way her eyes pierced into mine over our picnic basket, her full lips curving into a smile that made my chest ache.

I can't stop thinking about her. About us. The push and pull between us, a dance as complicated as our history.

She wants this. I know she does. I see it in the way she looks at me, like I'm her salvation and damnation all at once. But there's something holding her back, a barrier I can't break through.

Maybe I never will.

Maybe the damage is already done. Years of resentment and heartbreak standing between us, an impenetrable wall. For all I know, she's just playing games, fucking with my head.

I slam a fist on my desk, rattling my laptop. I should focus on work, on the betrayals threatening to destroy my family's empire, but I can't concentrate. Can't stop wondering if we're doomed before we've even begun.

If Fallon will always see me as the boy who broke her heart, not the man trying to win her back, we don't stand a chance.

But if she really saw me, she'd see a man who would do anything for another chance.

I rake a hand through my hair and stare out the window into the gloom. The sky is as conflicted as my thoughts, patches of sunlight peeking through bruised clouds.

Just like Fallon lets me in before shutting me out again.

A cycle I'm desperate to break.

I stand abruptly, nearly toppling my chair. I need to see her, but first I need some advice from one of the only people I really trust… because I need to know if this can be saved before it slips through my fingers again.

Before I lose the only thing that's ever mattered. The only woman I've ever loved.

I meet Raine for lunch at our usual cafe, The Cheeky Beet, my leg jittering under the table. It's one of her favorite places in town, vegan and sustainable and various other bougie claims to fame even though she herself is quite down-to-earth. She arches a brow, reading me too well, like always.

"What's wrong?" she asks. "You look like you're about to crawl out of your skin. So it can be one of only two things. One of our siblings, or Fallon."

I take a deep breath and nod. "It's Fallon."

Understanding lights her eyes. She's the only one who knows the truth—the ugly history between me and the woman I can't stop thinking about. The one I'm desperate to win back.

"Did something happen?" Raine presses.

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