“You,” I whisper. “You take it.”
Theo’s forehead wrinkles, eyes squinted. “Take what?”
“My life.”
His jaw clenches and I see something I never thought I’d see—tears. They fill his eyes like he’s choking on his next breath. “Jesus…” He presses his forehead to mine, squeezing his eyes shut, and his tears fall onto my face and become mine. Silent sobs wrack his body. “I can’t take your life…” The words rip from his throat. “So, fuck you…” more tears “…because you’ve already taken mine.” He grips my face harder. “You’ve ruined the man I need to be…” more sobs “…You’ve turned me into a fucking failure because all I want to do is this.”
Theo kisses me, slow at first, then more urgent. I don’t kiss him back. I can’t. Everything is still too numb—my lips, my hands, myheart.
His mouth moves to my cheek, my jaw, my neck.
Nothing.
He releases another sob. My heart tries to feel it, but it can’t. It’s too late.
“Don’t… don’t do this.” His mouth covers mine again.
Nothing.
I should cry. I’ve waited so long for him to give me this. I blink.
Nothing.
Pushing away, he kneels by the mattress, sitting back on his heels. He rips off his gray beanie, exposing his closely buzzed hair. His hands cover his face, shoulders curled inward, body shaking. “No… no… no…Scarlet…”He whispers my name like he’s using his last breath to say it.
I gasp as if his last breath is my first. One blink and tears run down my face. My heart drums with so much pain… pain that Ifeel.
Theodore Reed hasneversaid my name. Not. One. Single. Time.
Until now.
Inch by slow inch, I bring myself to sitting on the edge of the mattress in front of him. My hands wrap around his wrists. He sucks in a shaky breath and holds it as I pull his hands away from his face. When he releases his breath it’severything.
“Scarlet,” he whispers again.
Chills. I never thought it was possible for someone to whisper life back into another person. I was wrong.
He swallows hard. Eyes red. Cheeks stained with emotion. “Livefor me.”
Love?
Hate?
It’s love. Love wins.
Biting my quivering lips together, I nod once.
Theo cradles my face. I cradle his.
He kisses me. I kiss him.
He tears at my clothes. I tear at his.
He moves down my body, bringing it back to life one kiss—one bite at a time. My back arches as my hands move to his head. I curl them into fists, finding nothing to hold. I miss his hair.
Sucking in a sharp breath, my fingers clutch the sheets next to me instead. His tongue drags between my legs so…
Very. Slowly.
