Page 174 of Tower of Ash and Darkness
"I wanted you to see this with me," he murmurs.
I turn to face him, wrapped in the intimacy of his touch like a soft, warm blanket.
"Thank you," I whisper.
“You’re welcome.”
His eyes soften as he gazes at me, an unspoken understanding passing between us, before his lips brush mine in another gentle kiss.
After a moment, I break the silence.
"Do you ever just sit out here and think about never going back?" I ask, my voice soft as I lay next to him, eyes still fixed on the stars above us.
Casper notices me shiver from the cool night air and gently pulls my cloak up around my arms.
“I don’t ever want to go back.”
He kisses my temple, and I intertwine my fingers with his, bringing his hand up around me. I lean into him, breathing in the scent of leather and sweetness that clings to him, determined never to forget it. I press a kiss to his hand, and he gently guides it to my chin, lifting my gaze to meet his
“I don’t want to giveyouback,” he says.
Confusion swells within me as I furrow my brows and reach for his cheek, my fingers brushing his skin as I study his eyes. He leans in, kissing me gently, but it’s not just a kiss—it’s an expression of everything he’s held back. His lips linger against mine, and I feel the pull of everything we’re not saying. Drawing back, I look at him, my heart pounding.
“Then don’t.”
Casper leans forward on his elbow, his other hand gently brushing across my face. His fingers skim my cheek, then trail down the length of my neck, his eyes following every movement. Heat blooms beneath my skin as his hand glides down my arm, agonizingly slow, until his fingers slip between mine. He lifts our joined hands above my head and shifts, his body now straddling mine, and I catch my breath.
We sit there, breathing in sync, the world fading away until it's just the two of us.
“Cas…” I whisper, barely audible.
He stills.
“Yes?” he replies, his voice strained, as if bracing for my words.
“Is this real?”
There’s a pause, heavy and seemingly endless, each second stretching longer than the last. Just as I wonder if he’s heard me, I feel his fingers brush my wrist, lingering on my scars.
He traces them slowly, reverently, as if they’re more than marks I’ve tried to forget. My pulse quickens beneath his fingertips, a stuttering rhythm I can’t control, and I freeze, unable to move, unable to tear my gaze away from his as his eyes meet mine.
It crashes into me all at once—tender, consuming, threaded witha depth that steals my breath. His gaze holds me there, unwavering and full of hunger, as if he sees every fractured part of me and still chooses to stay.Still chooses me.
Casper leans in, his lips brushing mine before he catches my bottom lip between his teeth, a gentle tug that elicits a soft whimper from me. I feel the shuddering of his breath against my skin—like he’s just as undone by this as I am.
Looking up at me with eyes darkened by impulse, he pushes a lock of my hair behind my ear. The moonlight bathes us in silver, giving him an unobstructed view of my face. He clenches his jaw as he sees the vulnerability in my eyes, a mixture of fear and something softer, something more vulnerable.
“This…us,” he murmurs, his voice steady but sincere. “It’s as real as the stars above us, Lailah. As inescapable as the night itself.”
I try to calm my breathing as his words sink in, both terrifying and comforting. He pulls me closer, as if his embrace alone answers my question.
“Have you ever let anyone in like this?” I whisper.
For an instant, his dark eyes hold mine. Then, slowly, he shakes his head, the answer soft but final.
“No.”
As though it weren’t already, my heart begins to race.
