Page 82 of Rose
She shook her head.
“It’s so hot,” she whimpered. “I can’t breathe. I can’t—”
“Youcan, baby. I’m right here. Look at me.”
She didn’t.
He moved closer, pressed her hands between his, grounding her. “Listen to my voice. We’re gonna do this together, alright? Tell me five things you can see.”
“It’s fucking dark!” she snapped, her voice laced with panic. “There’s nothing—nothing to see!”
Her chest heaved, her face soaked with tears.
“Okay. Four things you can touch. Come on, baby. Stay with me.”
“I—I can’t...” she stammered, squeezing her eyes shut again.
Savior made a split decision.
He grabbed her face. “Just focus on this.”
Then kissed her. Not rough. Not lustful. Just something real—anchoring.
At first, she tensed under his touch.
Fought him.
But his lips didn’t waver. His thumbs brushed gently along her jaw as he kissed her deeper, slower, like he was pouring every ounce of guilt and desperation into it. Like he could bring her back with just his mouth.
And slowly... something in her cracked. Her hands clutched his shirt. She kissed him back.
Not because she forgave him. Not because it was right. But because it wasreal—something she could feel when nothing else made sense.
Savior pulled away, watching her closely as her breathing slowed and her eyes fluttered open. The storm in her chest had eased, her panic softening beneath the warmth of his presence.
“Kiss me again, please,” Ahzii whispered, her voice broken as more tears slid down her cheeks.
He didn’t hesitate.
He grabbed her face and crashed his lips into hers again—this time deeper, harder, like he needed her to feel every unspoken apology in his chest. Her arms locked around his neck, clinging to him like she was anchoring herself back to earth.Savior scooped her up without breaking the kiss, one hand gripping her thigh, the other around her back. She didn’t resist—just melted into him like she belonged there.
When he finally pulled away, it was only to check her face. Her body was relaxed. No trembling. No tension. Just the rise and fall of her chest pressed against his. Her eyes opened again, this time with curiosity instead of fear, scanning her surroundings as the wind kissed her skin.
“Where are we?” she asked, eyes still glistening.
Savior turned, letting her take it all in—the waves crashing in the distance, the way the moon spilled silver light across the shoreline like a secret. “My beach,” he said simply, still holding her like he had no plans to put her down.
Her brows lifted. “You have your own fucking beach?”
He chuckled. “Yeah. My house is a few blocks up. If we walk the shore, you’ll see it.”
Her eyes widened again, lips slightly parted as she looked around like she was waking up from a nightmare into some surreal dream. The darkness didn’t feel suffocating out here. The quiet didn’t scream loneliness. It felt calm. Safe. Like she was finally breathing for the first time all night.
“You’re the only house out here?”
“Yeah. It’s nothing but land until you hit another estate a few blocks down.”
She looked toward the water, then back at him. “Can we go down there?”
