Page 18 of Let it Ignite
I’m on her in a second, unbuckling her seatbelt, pulling her into my lap. I need her closer, need her pressed against me to believe this is real. Her lips find mine, desperate and messy, all teeth and tongues and the softest sighs. It’s not lust.
It’s relief.
It’s love.
I cradle the back of her neck, pressing kisses along her jaw, her cheek, her temple.
"You wreck me, Cassie," I whisper. "Every damn day. You make me feel things I thought wouldn’t feel for anyone. You’re not the one who’s lucky. I am."
She laughs, the sound wet and shaky as she brushes her thumb over my cheek.
"I’m scared, Byron."
"Me too."
"What if I wake up one day and regret walking away from the audition?"
I cup her face in both hands, forcing her to look at me. "Then we’ll get in the truck, and we’ll drive to the next one. And the one after that. I’ll be with you every step of the way, Cassie. This isn’t about giving up. This is about doing it on your own terms."
She stares at me for a long moment before something in her melts. She leans forward, rests her forehead against mine, and breathes me in.
"I love you," she says, so soft I barely hear it.
But I feel it.
Every word sinking into my bones like it belongs there.
I press a kiss to her lips. "I love you too, baby. And I’m going to spend the rest of my life proving it."
She settles into my lap, her arms wrapped around my neck, her face tucked into the crook of my shoulder.
Just Cassie and me.
And the life we’re finally choosing—for real this time.
I stroke her hair gently, the scent of her shampoo grounding me like nothing else ever has. My chest rises and falls with the rhythm of her breathing, syncing with mine until we’re one steady pulse.
"When I was ten," I murmur into her hair, "my teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I didn’t even blink—I said I wanted to be a fireman. Not because I thought the truck was cool or because of the sirens. But because I wanted to save people. I wanted to be the guy who showed up when everything was on fire and made it better. I wanted to be the reason someone got to go home to their family that night."
I pause, swallowing past the lump rising in my throat.
"And I guess somewhere along the way, I forgot that saving people isn’t just about dragging them out of burning buildings. It’s about standing by them when the world tries to burn them down from the inside. It’s about being the one person they know won’t ever walk away."
Cassie doesn’t say anything. She just watches me, her eyes glossy, her chest rising and falling like she’s trying to breathe through my words.
"I wanted to save people," I whisper, brushing my thumb along her jaw. "And now, I just want to be the man who makes you feel safe enough to save yourself."
She lets out a tiny sound—half laugh, half sob—and presses her forehead against mine, like that’s the only way to keep herself from falling apart completely.
“I love you so much, Cassie.”
“I love you too, Byron.”
She kisses me again, softer this time, reverent. And when she leans back, she smiles. Really smiles. The first real one since before the audition.
"Then let’s go home, Byron. Let’s figure this out. Together."
My throat tightens, and I clear it before turning the engine back on.
