Page 88 of The Wreckage Of Us

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The aftermath was quiet.

I lay tangled in his sheets, my head on his chest, listening to the slow, steady rhythm of his breathing.

His fingers traced lazy circles on my back, his lips brushing the crown of my head every so often like he couldn’t help himself.

Neither of us spoke for a long time.

And then, softly, Ace murmured, “You okay?”

I smiled into his skin. “More than okay.”

His arm tightened around me. “I meant what I said, Brit. I’m not going anywhere.”

I swallowed hard, blinking up at him. His hair was a mess, his eyes heavy-lidded with sleep, his mouth curved in the softest smile I’d ever seen.

“You promise?” I whispered, voice breaking.

His thumb brushed my cheek. “Promise.”

I buried my face in his chest, breathing him in, feeling his heartbeat under my palm.

And in that moment, everything felt terrifyingly right.

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Later, as the night deepened and the world outside fell quiet, I traced patterns on his bare chest, feeling the rise and fall of his breath beneath my fingertips.

“Ace?” I whispered into the dark.

“Mm?” His voice was thick with sleep, his arm tightening around me instinctively.

“I told Corinne,” I murmured, heart pounding.

His eyes cracked open, lips twitching. “Figured you would.”

I lifted my head, smiling softly. “She’s sworn to secrecy. Jasper’s still clueless.”

Ace huffed a quiet laugh, eyes crinkling. “Good. I’m not ready to share you yet.”

My chest ached with something sweet and sharp all at once.

“Neither am I,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to his jaw.

His arms wrapped tighter around me, pulling me flush against him, his breath warm in my hair.

And as I drifted off to sleep in his arms, I thought — maybe, just maybe, this was how it was supposed to feel.

Like falling.

Like flying.

Like finally coming home.

Chapter 35

Brittany

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