Chapter 18 Breathless #3
“That’s not frailty,” he continued. “That’s steel wrapped in silk.”
My eyes stung. Part of me wanted to believe him.
“I just…” My voice cracked. “I don’t want to keep being afraid.”
“Then you won’t be.” The way he said it, with such absolute finality, made it sound like a vow carved in stone.
I shook my head, a shaky smile tugging at my lips despite everything. “You make it sound so simple.”
One corner of his mouth curved. “It can be. Sometimes you just need to remember who you are.”
I scoffed, though it came out weaker than I meant. “And who’s that? Fun-Size Melanie? Bubble Girl?”
The nicknames Xavier had used still clung like ash in my mouth.
Kian’s gaze hardened. “No. You’re stronger than you know. Your fire is barely contained. And I have never, not once, mistaken you for anything less.”
Something in me unraveled at that, my anger flickering into something softer, more dangerous. My throat felt tight again, but for an entirely different reason.
I huffed, trying to disguise the emotion with banter. “You’ve got a way with words, Professor. I’ll give you that.”
His smile deepened by the faintest fraction. “Only when they’re true.”
Heat flooded my face, and I leaned against him, my head finding his shoulder. His arm came around me immediately.
We sat like that in the darkness, the warehouse silent except for the distant sound of sirens fading into the night. His hand traced slow circles on my back, and I let myself sink into the comfort of his presence.
The exhaustion began to lift, replaced by a different kind of awareness. I became conscious of how close we were. His heartbeat thudded beneath my ear. His hand stilled on my back, fingers splayed against my spine.
I lifted my head to look at him. His eyes were unreadable, but when they met mine, the air between us shifted.
His gaze dropped to my lips.
“Melanie,” he breathed, and my name was a warning and a plea all at once.
His thumb brushed along my jaw, and he leaned in. Close enough that I could feel his warm breath against my lips. My eyes fluttered shut, my hand finding his chest—
A car horn blared, shattering the moment like glass. Headlights cut through the darkness. Kian pulled back immediately, his hand dropping from my face. We both turned toward the sound. Leo’s truck was pulling up to the curb.
Kian looked like he wanted to say something, but the passenger door was already opening. He stood and offered his hand. I took it, letting him pull me to my feet, just in time for Luz to nearly crush me in a bear hug.
“Girl, you are never going anywhere alone again!” she exclaimed, squeezing me hard enough to make my ribs protest.
“I won’t go anywhere again if you keep squeezing me like that,” I wheezed. “I’ll suffocate before I get the chance.”
Luz huffed a laugh but didn’t let go right away. When she did, she looked me over from head to toe, her expression torn between worry and relief. Tears streaked her face. “You just went through something horrible, and you’re making jokes! ?Eres ridícula!”
I winced and shrugged. “Well, someone has to. Otherwise, I might actually break down.”
Her mouth pressed into a line, but her grip on my hand didn’t loosen.
Leo came to stand beside Kian, clapping him on the shoulder. Leo looked like he had aged a few years from the stress. “Good lookin’ out, man.”
Luz nodded, still holding onto me. “Seriously. Thank you.”
Kian gave a sheepish half-smile, but his gaze kept pulling back to me. “Thanks aren’t necessary. She’s safe, that’s all that matters.”
Before anyone could say anything else, I turned and wrapped my arms around his midsection, burying my face against his chest.
Kian stilled, his breath catching.
Then his arms carefully came around me, then tightened like he was afraid I might disappear if he didn’t hold on. One hand cradled the back of my head, the other pressed flat against my spine.
But this time it was different.
This time, we were both aware of what had almost happened. Of how close we’d come to crossing a line we couldn’t uncross.
“Thank you,” I whispered into his shirt.
His hand moved gently through my hair, and I felt him press his face into the top of my head, breathing me in.
“Always,” he murmured against my hair. So quiet I almost didn’t hear it. “I will always come for you.”
Neither of us moved. Neither of us wanted to let go first.
Reluctantly, I pulled back. His hands lingered on my arms before he let me go. He reached out one last time, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear with careful fingers. The touch remained just a second too long to be casual.
Kian cleared his throat, stepping back to give me space. “Get some rest,” he said.
Luz guided me toward the truck, but I glanced over my shoulder one last time.
Kian hadn’t looked away, like he was etching me into memory.
When our eyes met, he gave me the faintest smile and lifted a hand in parting.
Something in the way he looked at me, as if I was the only thing in the world worth fighting for, stole the air from my lungs in a way even fear hadn’t.