Because I know he needs to finish this.
“There was an investigation, of course… Everyone at the station confirmed it wasn’t an accident. It happened quickly, without hesitation. No one had time to react. By the time they realized what he was doing, it was already too late. He was gone. Just… gone.”
And with that, something in Remi breaks.
He collapses into my arms, sobbing, deep, guttural cries that seem to tear straight from his core. I hold him as tightly as I can, one hand cradling the back of his head, the other stroking his back in slow, steady circles.
I whisper whatever comes to mind, soft, broken things that don’t need to make sense. “Shh… I’m here. I’ve got you… I’m not going anywhere.”
And I mean it. Every word.
I know, without the slightest doubt, that he’s never told anyone this before. And I know I’ll never forget this moment.The weight of his trust. The sound of his grief. The way he lets me hold him without holding back.
Whatever happens from here… I won’t let him go.
He’s mine. To hold. To protect. To love.
REMI
Held tightly in Sebastian’s arms, I cry, all my tears, every last one, without shame. I haven’t broken down like this since it happened. Not then. Not even in the days and weeks that followed.
All these years, I’ve poured everything into being strong. Into holding it together for Mum and Maude. I never gave myself permission to fall apart. Never really let myself grieve.
I kept the wall up, solid, unyielding, between me and the pain. The loss. The confusion. And now, somehow… finally, I’ve broken through it.
For the first time in my life, I’ve spoken openly about my father’s suicide. I’ve exposed the rawest, deepest part of myself. And the strange thing is, I couldn’t even do that with Maddie or Francis, despite all the love and trust I’ve always had for them.
But Sebastian, sweet, steady, unexpected Sebastian, has broken through every wall I built around myself.
And he’s done it in a matter of weeks.
I’m terrified, but in his arms, I feel safer than I have in years. Safer than I’ve felt since before everything in my family fell apart.
I never meant to tell him all this. Not tonight. Not when we were supposed to be celebratinghisincredible performance. And now, I feel awful for turning such a special night into something so heavy.
But eventually, I lift my head and meet his gaze, those brilliant green eyes that see straight through me.
And despite everything, all I find there is tenderness. Understanding. Affection. A warmth so fierce, so steady, it melts the last knots clinging to my heart and turns my insides to jelly.
I can’t look away.
As his face leans closer to mine, I know, without a shred of doubt, that there’s no turning back. I brush my nose gently against his, then slide my fingers up into his silky hair.
And without a second thought, I kiss him.
Hard.
No star in the sky tonight can match the explosion that ignites inside me when our lips meet. They’re soft. Warm. Sweet. Just like I imagined, and somehow, even better.
Sebastian doesn’t pull away.
At first, the kiss is gentle, hesitant, like we’re both holding our breath.
But then I graze his lower lip with my teeth, my hand curled firmly around the back of his neck, and something shifts.
Desire takes over.
He grabs my face with both hands, deepening the kiss. His tongue brushes mine, and I open to him without hesitation, welcoming him in. I explore him hungrily, every angle, every breath, every taste, like I’ve been waiting my whole life for this.
