And if that meant she was in the middle of us—if that meant the only way we both got to breathe was by keeping herright there?—
Then I’dkeep her there.
Right between us.
Not out of greed. Not out of power.
But because shebelongedthere.
If she thought she had to choose—if she left?—
We wouldn’t just lose her.
We’d lose the first peace we’d ever had.
Chapter Thirty
EMILIA
It started with the way they kissed me.
Not justhow—butwhy.
Bastion would pull me aside in the hallway, his hand firm at my waist, mouth crashing into mine like he needed to taste me just to think straight. Like the day wasn’t going to work unless hehadthat moment. Like I was his tether.
Luca was different. Quieter. He’d wait until we were tucked in a back corner of the library, books forgotten, fingers curling around my wrist before tugging me close. His kisses were slower. Deeper. Lingering in a way that felt like he was asking for something more without saying it.
They kissed me like I was more than a game now.
More than a moment.
And that scared me.
Because I was starting to believe them.
Sincethatnight, everything had changed.
They still flirted with me in the dorm—slinging smirks, brushing too close, throwing out quiet “baby”s like they weren’t detonating something inside me every time. But the touches felt heavier. The looks lasted longer. And sometimes,when I caught them watching me, it didn’t feel like teasing anymore.
It felt like want.
Real,achingwant.
And that was when the guilt hit me.
Because it was happening fast. Too fast.
Making out with one of them… only to be pulled in by the other hours later—I could feel the lines blurring. The space between them vanishing. Between me andthem.
They each awakened something different in me. Bastion lit a match and dared me to burn. Luca made it feel like I’d already been burning and just never realized until he touched me.
And it was getting harder to pretend it wasn’t leading somewhere dangerous.
Harder to pretend I wasn’t falling.
Forboth.
So I did the only thing I could think to do.