Page 66 of Covert Desires

“I know,” Nico's voice is urgent, almost pleading, “So can you stop making dumb excuses and come with me already? If you hate it, you can come back to the island, I promise. But don’t make me go alone now, please, Kiah.”

His vulnerability, so raw and unexpected, pierces through my defenses.

I know that I’m about to do something incredibly stupid.

"Fine," I concede, my voice barely above a whisper. "But only because I don't want you to die."

“I’ll take it,” Nico declares victoriously, pulling me in for a kiss that doesn’t end until I forget how to breathe, panting in his strong arms, my knees weak like I’m a teenager with a crush.

As we part, breathless, I murmur against his chest, "This is a terrible idea."

"Oh yes," Nico agrees, lips brushing my hair. "The absolute worst."

Our laughter, tinged with exhilaration and a hint of fear, fills the room.

“Give me a second,” I say, darting to grab my emergency bag—always packed, always ready. Old habits die hard.

I navigate the carnage in my kitchen as if it's an everyday occurrence, shoving a jacket, phone charger, and Kindle into the bag.

At the door, I pause for a final look at the space that's been my sanctuary for five years. The finality of the moment isn't lost on me. But I don’t feel sad about it. I’m excited.

Nico is already waiting outside, his bloodied and barely conscious brother draped over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"After you, my Queen."

I smile, taking his hand. “I could get used to that.”

As I lead the way to the airstrip, I don’t spare a single look back at the life I thought I wanted but was, in actual fact, just an excuse to hide.

Fuck it. I’m too young to retire.

Besides, as Nico said, I could just come back if I wanted to.

I don’t want another lifetime of what-ifs and regrets.

What I want is a home, a real home.

And it’s not here.

Nico’s woken up a slumbering part of me, a part I can't lull back to sleep again. It wants excitement, risk, danger. It craves the high stakes, the smell of expensive cars, the sheer opulence of hedonism.

What is there to stay for anyway?

This island may be peaceful, but it's been suffocating my growth. Trapped in amber, I've been stuck, in between worlds, not daring to breathe. Nico's given me a reason to exhale again.

As we mission over the sandy paths, I realize I'm not running away. For the first time in years, I'm runningtowardssomething.

And I’m ready.

Chapter twenty

Christmas

(Kiah)

Thepastsixweekshave been a crazy blur.How did we get to Christmas already?

For the first time in five years, I don’t have to worry about getting up early to start getting everything ready to feed a bunch of people I don’t give a single fuck about.

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