Chapter 56
REGGIE
Song- Jericho, Sleep Token
Bella bursts through the door, lungs heaving, laughter spilling out of her like she’s just escaped a storm.
For a second, I expect Rowan to come chasing in after her. He doesn’t.
“You okay?” I ask, fighting my own grin.
Her cheeks are flushed, eyes bright, and for a moment I forget every reason I shouldn’t touch her.
“Yeah,” she gasps, clutching the table for balance. “I—”
Her gaze catches mine, and she laughs again, softer this time, like the sound itself might keep her upright.
I step closer, unable to help myself. “Bella King. What have you done with my brother?”
Tears streak down her face from laughing too hard. “He’s… a little tied up right now.”
I arch a brow, tipping her chin up with one finger. “You going to untie him?”
She shakes her head. “Nope. Punishment for being grumpy with me.”
That does it. I grin, all teeth. “Oh yeah? That’s how you dish out punishments, baby?”
Her mouth parts; the air between us snaps tight.
“I wouldn’t punish you that way,” she says quietly. “We’re different.”
Something in me eases. She gets it. She knows that what’s between her and me isn’t about rivalry or replacement, it’s about recognition. She’s the only person who’s ever looked at me and seen me, not a mirror of Rowan.
“You’re such a good girl, Princess,” I murmur. “But tell me… are you too good for me?”
A shadow flickers through her eyes. “No. I think I’m perfect for you.”
I chuckle, tracing my thumb along her jaw. “Say it again.”
Her lips curl. “I’m perfect for you, sir.”
My pulse kicks. “Damn right you are. But you do realize you’re in trouble for tying up my brother when we’ve got work to do, right?”
She pouts, and God help me, she knows exactly what that does to me.
“He’s learned his lesson. You can go collect him,” she says sweetly.
“Oh, you’re the one giving orders now, huh?”
She shrugs, fingers dragging lightly up my chest. “Only so I can be punished by you later, Irish.”
I pull back, forcing air into my lungs before I forget where we are. I study her. The spark in her eyes, the way she tilts toward me even when she’s pretending not to.
She’s the missing piece I didn’t know I was searching for. For once in my goddamn life, I don’t want to fight or hide. I just want her.
“I’m not done, Princess. I never was.” My voice drops. “You’re it for me.”
She swallows, her eyes softening. “You sure you can handle me, Irish?”
I shake my head, smiling despite everything. Because this is what she does to me. Bella King makes me happy. “I don’t want to handle you. I want to fucking cherish you.”
She exhales, and it’s oddly soothing that she’s as fucked up over this as I am.
“But first,” I add, stepping back with a faint grin, “I better go untie my brother.”
Her laugh breaks through the quiet. “Good luck.”
And I know she never planned on going back. She’s sending me instead.
Because this isn’t just about her anymore.
It’s about fixing what’s broken between all of us.