“I wasn’t supposed to do this,” he murmured. “I was supposed to keep my distance.”
“Because you were on life support? Like only a few hours ago?”
Leo scowled. “Don’t do that. This is only happening because I’m hurt.”
Heat climbed in my belly as I chewed the inside of my cheek; I liked this, and I didn’t hate that I liked it. I was sure he’d regretted it before that moment between us, so what changed?
He leaned back, his hand trailing from my hair and down to my wrist as he closed his eyes. His thumb rubbed against my skin, and his brows pinched together before his eyes widened again.
“Your scar,” he whispered. “Why is it gone?”
“I asked the healers to remove it after they were done with you.” I hadn’t expected the admittance to be embarassing. “It… didn’t seem fair anymore. I know it bothered you.”
Leo turned on his side, twirling a lock of my hair around his finger before giving it a gentle tug. I leaned forward, and he took the opportunity to cup my face in his palms.
“I need to be extremely clear about something,” he said, entirely too serious.
I nodded, and my heart started to race.
“I was ready to die on the field today. People always say that stuff puts things into perspective, but I thought it was a bunch of crap. It’s not.” His jaw twitched as he clenched his teeth. “I stay away from people because I’m afraid of losing control.Youare someone I’m not willing to gamble with—but I didn’t hurt you. I’m alive because you were there, because you calmed me down.”
What is he saying? What’s happening?
“You reached out to me,” my voice was hoarse. “I couldn’t walk away.”
Leo nodded. “Exactly. I’m not letting you walk away either. Give me…” he let out a long breath. “Give me time. I want to control myself more. I want to do better.”
You already are, idiot.
I pursed my lips. “And then?”
His thumb rubbed my cheek as his eyes went soft. “Then… I want to talk. About everything. After that, the ball is in your court.”
TWENTY-TWO
LEO
I did it;I broke Joon’s rule.
A weight had been lifted, but betrayal settled in my chest. I hadn’t figured out how to control myself completely; my temperature still spiked, and the lingering effects of the burnout still weighed me down. But I let Alex get close—and shestifledmy flames. Not like Reed, not by force, but just by being present.
Alex calmed me down, and it was proof that at least around her, I wasn’t as dangerous anymore. I wasn’t sure what Joon would have thought; if this was good enough, a step in the right direction. But I’d wanted todie,or had been okay with that outcome, at least. Now? There was no chance in hell.
She cried for me, and I didn’t think anyone had ever done that before.
I was selfish, but I didn’t care. I wanted her; Ineededher. It had been four days of sitting in a hospital bed, ruminating on it all. She came to my hospital room often, either by herself or with Reed in tow. On an especially stressful day, she’d even brought Gabriel and his family over. I was overstimulated, and awkward, but that night, I’d slept better than I had in years.
Alex was opening up my world, making things possible, like being surrounded by people who actually cared. I didn’t know what that was like until now. It made me greedy, restless, and…desperate. She gave me air, put out my fire, and I was tired of running away.
Am I allowed to be happy? Would that be okay, Joon?
Every time I saw her, my lips burned, but I restrained myself. There was still more I had to prove, steps I had to take. Right now, all that mattered was that she was in my life, and that it didn’t look like she was going anywhere soon.
I’ve waited this long; I can wait some more.
Instead, I tried to focus on the facts. That Villain—Glitch—was still out there. I tried to give as much detail to Alex and Reed as I could to pass on to Dahlia. The VIA was overwhelmed; the TV in my room constantly buzzed with footage of Splinter’s attack, and press conferences from the VIA to calm the public. They lied through their teeth.
“This is a group that has recently come to our attention.” Dahlia was on the screen now, her image perfect on the screen as she addressed the reporters in the room. “Rest assured, the VIA is working adamantly to put these Villains behind bars. They will not be allowed to terrorize our city, and our Heroes are doing everything in their power to bring them down.”
