My breath caught. “Why?”
His gaze softened, but there was a thread of something else beneath it—possession, maybe. Or at least that’s what I was dreaming I was seeing. “Because I don’t ever want to lose you again.”
That single sentence stole what little air I had left.
I wanted to tell him I’d been here the whole time…just not where he could see me. That I’d wanted to go to him but couldn’t, because I was too scared he’d realize what I was.
“I—” The word barely scraped out, more breath than sound.
He didn’t let me try again.
Matty’s hand slid to the back of my neck, and then his mouth was on mine. Warm, assured…a little desperate. The world tilted. My fingers tangled in his shirt, clinging like I’d fall apart if I let go. His other hand cupped my cheek, holding me steady as he kissed me again and again, like he was trying to relearn the taste of me.
It felt like stepping into sunlight after living too long in the dark. Blinding, overwhelming, and so warm it almost hurt.
He finally drew back, resting his forehead against mine while his uneven breaths brushed my lips. His voice was soft, almost a whisper. “Why are you crying, Ophelia?”
I hadn’t even realized I was until he said it. My face was wet, my chest tight.
“It hurts,” I whispered. It was all I could manage, all I could think to say. Because it did hurt—feeling this much, wanting this much, finally being seen after hiding for so long.
His arms tightened, gathering me closer until there was no space left between us. He kissed me again, slower this time, his lips barely moving against mine.
“I know,” he murmured against my mouth. His voice cracked just a little. “It hurts for me too, pretty baby.”
I let out a broken sound, half sob, half laugh, and sank into him completely. His heartbeat pressed against mine, fast and real, grounding me in the only truth that mattered.
For the first time, the ache didn’t feel like it was swallowing me whole.
It felt like it was beingshared.
CHAPTER 17
OPHELIA
For a long moment, neither of us moved. I could feel his heartbeat thudding hard against my chest, his breath still coming fast where it brushed my temple.
And then he shifted. One arm slid under my knees, the other around my back, and before I could process what was happening, I was lifted clean off the ground.
“Matty—” My voice came out startled…dazed. “What are you doing?”
His grip only tightened as he started walking toward the house. The morning air rushed past, cool against my face, and the sound of his keys jingled faintly where they still hung from his hand.
He didn’t look down at me when he answered. “Taking you to my bed,” he said simply. “Where I’ve been picturing you since the moment I saw you.”
My pulse stuttered so hard it almost hurt. “You…what?”
He glanced down then, his mouth curving into something between a smirk and a confession. “Every time I closed my eyes,” he repeated again.
The front door came into view, still half open from when he’d run out to me. The sight of it sent a shiver through me, a mix of panic and want so strong I was worried I was going to pass out.
This was it.
The place I’d been desperate to see since the day I first stepped on campus.
I was about to go inside his house. With him.
My fingers curled tighter in his shirt as he carried me over the threshold, every step sending my pulse into overdrive. I could smell him now—soap, skin, and something sensual that made my head spin.
