A prickly sense of danger rose inside me, but I couldn't deflect.
"I love you too."
His eyes began to glisten.
"Hey," I said.
"I'm okay." He leaned over and kissed me. "I'm okay."
We started moving faster. I wrapped my hand around his cock, stroking him . He was close, shorter breaths.
"Come on, let me see you."
He came, spilling hot cum over my hand, clenching tight. The sight and clench of his muscles pushed me over. I held him close as I came, face buried against his shoulder.
We collapsed together, breathing hard.
"Stay," he said.
"I'm not going anywhere."
We lay there as daylight faded. Eventually he asked, softly, "What happens in Seattle?"
"I don't know."
"But you're scared."
"Yes."
"Of what?"
I confessed. I had to be honest with him.
"I'm afraid of doing everything right and still losing you. I'm worried that competence won't matter. Being good at this won't be enough. I'm scared the system will punish you for choosing me, and even if I keep you alive, I can't keep you—"
"Mine," he finished.
"Yeah."
He shifted up onto his elbow, looking down with a fierce glow in his eyes.
"If I lose you, it won't be because you didn't choose me."
"That's not—"
"Listen. You're afraid of failing. I understand. But Griffin, you're not the one who gets to decide if this is worth it."
"I know that."
"I hope so because it sounds like you're already preparing to walk away. To remove yourself because you think that will keep me safe."
He'd seen right through me.
"It might."
"It won't. Soo-jin doesn't care about my safety. He cares about control. The moment you leave, he wins. He can force me out with no one standing in the way."
I wanted to argue.
