I’m melting.
The possessiveness would normally annoy me—but tonight? After everything with Elliott? After Langston kept pulling me closer like I belong to him?
Yeah… it’s doing things to me I don’t want to examine too closely.
I start fidgeting as we walk toward the elevators, tugging at the hem of my top, then my sleeves. My fingers twist the fabric until it’s a tangled mess in my hands.
Langston notices.
Of course he does.
As soon as the elevator doors slide closed, he gently takes my hands and stills them in his.
I look up, and his eyes are already on mine.
“You don’t have to worry about the asshole from the Reserve,” he says, voice low and smooth. “I won’t let him near you.”
I shake my head. “I’m not nervous about him.”
Langston’s head tilts just slightly, like he’s trying to read between the lines. “Then what are you nervous about?”
My throat goes tight.
I swallow hard, heart thudding against my ribs.
Then, just loud enough for him to hear, I whisper—
“You.”
His gaze doesn’t flicker.
Doesn’t flinch.
Just holds steady—anchoring me there in the elevator, even as everything in me spins.
He lifts one hand and tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. It’s such a simple thing, but the way he does it—like he’s handling something delicate, something important—makes me feel… seen.
“Sweetheart,” he murmurs, “you don’t need to be nervous about me.”
My breath catches.
“We don’t have to do anything tonight,” he continues. “We can just sit up talking. Get to know eachother. That’s all.”
He smiles, and it’s softer than I’ve ever seen it—free of smugness or flirtation. Just warm. Real.
“You’re my wife, Sabrina. But I’m still a stranger to you. I get that.”
His words settle deep in my chest, loosening something I didn’t even know I’d been holding tight.
The elevator dings. I don’t move.
I’m still staring at him, caught in the quiet between us. And for the first time since this whole whirlwind started… I think maybe I can breathe.
Maybe this doesn’t have to be terrifying.
“Okay,” I whisper. “Talking sounds good.”
He nods and gently guides me out of the elevator, still holding my hand like it’s something he intends to keep.
