“Didn’t know you’d be here,” I said without looking at him, though I felt his gaze burning.
“I told you I always look for a rooftop wherever I go,” he exhaled. “You know, that evening you were drinking coffee way too late?”
My jaw dropped at the tease. I nudged his shoulder. “It was not too late. I’m surprised you even remember that.”
“It’s hard to forget anything about you.”
My cheeks heated from the warmth of his voice. I bit my lip and looked away. “You don’t mean that.”
His fingers gently grasped my chin, turning my face to meet his stormy eyes. “I may not mean much to this world, but I mean everything I say. Everything I do when it comes to you.”
My voice caught in my throat. “Rhodes.”
“Please—please just let me adore you. You can go back to hating me in the morning.”
He grinned when I stayed quiet. That damned dimple appeared like it had every right to be there.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry I kept the truth from you. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you, Scarlet. I’ve never trusted myself. All I’ve ever known is survival until the Mareki claims its curse. My soul is tethered to a magical realm that’s meant to fall. So I never allowed myself to live. To love.”
His thumb caught a tear slipping down my cheek. His hand trembled, as if touching me might be the thing that finally undid him.
“I’m sorry I hurt you.”
My breath hitched, and for a moment the world went still. Thoughts crashed over me, each one threatening to drag me under. Part of me wanted to pull away—to hate him, to damn him for his choices. But the rest of me screamed to hold on. To fight fate. To win.
Instead of spilling my heart, I deflected. His grip softened; I turned away.
“An emotionally devastating ending,” I murmured.
“Hmm?”
“The curse and the wraith.” I gave a hollow laugh. “We were never meant to be, were we?”
Rhodes let out a low chuckle edged with irony, trying to lighten the truth between us. “Ah, a forbidden love. My favorite kind of story.”
I nudged his shoulder. “I could never hate you.”
His smile curved, not quite reaching his eyes. “Good. Because you’re stuck with me until you become my damnation.”
“I will be no such thing,” I said, steadier than I felt.
Rhodes lifted his arm and drew me against him. I went rigid at first, startled by his sudden boldness, but his warmth seeped in until the tension drained away. I melted into him, savoring the quiet sense of safety his embrace carried.
He tilted his head back to the star-swept sky and whispered, “Please… just let me hold you.”
We stayed like that, wrapped in a silence so full it felt like both forever and not nearly enough. Night insects and the faint rustle of leaves wove a soft, natural lullaby. When he first pulled me close, my heart raced. Now, our heartbeats settled into the same steady rhythm.
“Why rooftops?” I murmured, my head still on his chest. “Everywhere you go?”
His arms tightened briefly, then loosened.
“Because when I see the world at face value, it’s… suffocating.” His voice dropped to a rasp. “From the moment I learned my fate, I’ve been hollow. Knowing you’re nothing more than magic’s last-ditch effort isn’t exactly comforting. Whether magic is saved or lost forever, the realm will fall either way—taking me with it. I’ve been living like a man already dead.”
I shifted, searching his glossy gray-blue eyes. He held my gaze for a beat before turning away.
“But from up here? I can breathe. The weight’s still there, but lighter—almost bearable. Same when I’m flying. I’ve thought more times than I can count about asking Noemi to risk a flight over the Wanderer’s Sea, just for a chance to escape my fate.” His stormy eyes found mine again, a faint curve tugging at his mouth. “But thatwould be a coward’s mission. And besides…” His voice softened, almost a dare. “I’ve got a thorn in my side keeping me here now.”
He smirked at his own jest—an attempt to lighten the mood that fell flat. My silence must’ve said as much, because the smirk faded, replaced by something steadier: resolve.
