Page 90 of Endo
The air between us is heavy, filled with all the things we’ve been avoiding for months. She stares at me, her breath coming fast, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
“And what is that, Reign?” she asks, her voice quieter now, shaky.
“You,” I say, my voice raw and sure. “You’re what I need, Lena. But you’re too afraid to let me be whatyouneed too.”
Her breath hitches, her eyes widening as the words hit her. For a moment, she’s completely still, like the weight of what I’ve said has knocked the wind out of her. Then her lips part, but no sound comes out. She blinks rapidly, her chest rising and falling in uneven breaths as if she’s trying to process, trying to find her footing.
“Reign...” she starts, her voice barely above a whisper, shaky and uncertain.
I watch her, waiting, the silence between us stretching thin and taut. Her fingers flex at her sides like she wants to reach for me but can’t bring herself to close the gap.
“I can’t be him,” I continue, my voice raw. “I can’t be the guy you loved. All I have is this—this wreck of a man standing in front of you. If you’re gonna be with me, you need to take me as I am. This mess, this… broken thing.”
I drag a hand over my face, trying to steady myself. Her gaze pierces me, unflinching, but I push through the weight pressing down on me. “I need you, but you need to know this is all I’ve got left. It’s never going to be enough. Never going to be what you deserve, but it’s all I have.”
Her lips part, trembling slightly, and for a moment, I think she might shatter right in front of me. But then she steps closer, her voice soft but thick with emotion. “Reign, I don’t want you to be Cruz. I don’t need you to be him.”
Her hand presses against my chest, her touch light but grounding, like it’s the only thing holding me together. “It’s youI’ve been running to. You, Reign. I can’t stay away from you, and it scares the hell out of me. But it’s not because of who I lost—it’s because of who I’m afraid of losing again.”
Her words slam into me, stripping away every layer of doubt and self-loathing I’ve been carrying. She takes a shaky breath, her blue eyes locked on mine, her gaze unwavering. “I’m just as broken as you are. Maybe worse. But maybe together… we can figure out how to piece ourselves back together. Your pain, my pain—we carry it together.”
I swallow hard, the weight of her words sinking deep into me, settling into a place that doesn’t feel so hollow anymore.
A breeze sweeps across the beach, tugging her hair across her face. She shivers, and without a second thought, I yank my shirt over my head and hold it out to her.
“Here,” I say, my voice gruff. “You’re freezing. Take it.”
“I’m fine,” she mutters, crossing her arms over her chest like she’s bracing herself against the wind—and me.
“Lena,” I say, a teasing edge creeping into my voice, “just take the damn shirt.”
She glares at me, her eyes narrowing, but the corner of her mouth betrays her with the faintest twitch. With a huff, she snatches the shirt from my hand. “You’re such a pain in the ass.”
“And you’re stubborn as hell,celona mou,” I fire back, smirking as she pulls the shirt over her head.
The sleeves hang well past her hands, the hem brushing her thighs, and she looks completely ridiculous. But something about seeing her in my clothes, all wrapped up in me, sends a rush of heat through my chest.
“Fuck, I like seeing you like this,” I murmur, my voice softening.
Her cheeks flush, a mix of irritation and something softer flickering across her face. She crosses her arms over theoversized fabric like it’s some kind of shield, but I catch the faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
And in that moment, the tension shifts, something unspoken passing between us. Whatever this is, whatever we are—it’s real. It’s undeniable.
The playful banter cracks something open between us, and when she looks up at me, her eyes searching mine, I don’t hold back. My hand moves to her jaw, my fingers brushing against her skin. She doesn’t pull away.
“Celona,” I murmur, my voice rough.
She steps closer, and the tension snaps. I lean in, and when our lips meet, the world stops spinning.
The kiss starts slow, tentative, but it deepens quickly, turning desperate and raw as we lower down to sit in the sand. All the frustration, all the unspoken words, pour into the connection between us. She climbs onto my lap, her knees pressing into the sand on either side of me, her hands tangling in my hair.
“Reign,” she whispers against my lips, her voice breaking.
I groan, gripping her hips as she grinds against me. “You’re mine, Lena,” I rasp, my tone fierce. “Every fucking broken, beautiful piece of you. Mine.”
Her breath catches, but she doesn’t stop. Her movements grow bolder, her body fitting perfectly against mine. The cool sand beneath me and the crash of the waves disappear as the heat between us builds.
I shift us slightly, lowering her back against the sand, my lips trailing down her jaw to her neck. Her hands grip my shoulders, her nails digging into my skin as her body arches into mine.
