Page 31 of Boards & Betrayal

Tom

Istood in front of Ally's dorm room door, feeling like an intruder in a place I had no right to be. My knuckles hovered above the wood, hesitating. I shouldn't be here. I should be miles away, far from her and the fucking shit she stirred within me.

But seeing her tonight…

I knocked, holding my breath as if it would steady the storm inside me.

The door creaked open, and there she stood, framed by the dim light of her room. Her blue eyes met mine, a mix of surprise and something else—something that mirrored my own conflicted feelings.

"Thomas," she murmured, her voice like a bell, clear and resonant. It struck a chord deep within me, vibrating with all the emotions I'd tried to bury.

Without thinking, without giving myself time to reconsider the consequences, I crossed the threshold. Her presence pulled me in like gravity. My hand reached for her cheek, thumb brushing lightly against her skin as if confirming she was real.

And then I kissed her.

The world outside her dorm room faded away. There was no award ceremony, no unresolved grief or complicated histories. Just the taste of her lips and the warmth of her breath mingling with mine.

Her hands clutched my jacket, pulling me closer as if anchoring herself. The kiss deepened, fueled by months of unspoken words and buried emotions. Every touch was a silent confession of everything we couldn't say aloud.

I knew this was reckless. Knew it would complicate everything further. But in that moment, with Ally's heart beating against mine, it felt like the only thing that made sense.

We broke apart slowly, our foreheads resting together as we caught our breath. Her eyes searched mine, questions unasked but hanging heavily between us.

"Thomas," she whispered again, softer this time, almost pleading.

I didn't have answers for her—only more questions of my own. But standing there with Ally in my arms felt like the closest thing to clarity I'd known in years.

I kicked the door shut behind me; the sound reverberating through the small room. My hands found Ally’s waist, pulling her close as I kissed her again, this time with a hunger that had been festering inside me for months. The kiss deepened, turning urgent, almost desperate.

My fingers threaded through her auburn hair, tangling in the silken strands. She sighed against my lips, her breath warm and inviting. I felt like a man who had been drowning and suddenly found air.

With each step, I guided her backward toward the bed. The kiss grew more fervent, our bodies pressed together as if we could fuse into one. Her hands roamed my back, fingers digging into my muscles as if she needed to hold onto something solid in this whirlwind of emotions.

Ally stumbled when we reached the edge of the bed, and for a heart-stopping moment, I thought she might fall. But I caught her just in time, steadying her with a firm grip around her waist.

She laughed, a light and carefree sound that made something inside me unclench. I couldn’t help but smile back at her, genuinely smiling for what felt like the first time in months.

Since her…

I pushed the thought away, focusing on Ally's laughter and the way it lit up her face. This moment was about us—no ghosts from the past would ruin it.

We stood there for a second longer, our breaths mingling as we looked at each other. The room felt charged with electricity, every touch and glance adding to the tension between us.

She cupped my cheek, her touch gentle but grounding. "I missed you," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Fuck, Ally," I said, my voice low and rough. "You don't know…"

Her eyes softened, and she opened her mouth to speak, but I shook my head.

"Don't," I said, more forcefully than I intended. "Don't send me away."

The vulnerability in my own words twisted something inside me. I hated it, the raw openness that she brought out in me. But I couldn’t stop it either. She had always been able to strip away my defenses with just a look.

I leaned down and kissed her gently, my lips brushing against hers with a tenderness that surprised even me. For a moment, it felt like everything could be right again.

But then she pulled away, tears glistening in her eyes. "We can't," she said, her voice trembling. "Because then what?"

"Then you're mine," I said, the words coming out fierce and desperate. "Ally, I've always wanted you. You know this."

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