Chapter 305
Chapter 305:
“I love you,” I murmur, the words spilling out before I can stop them.
She looks up at me, her smile soft and sleepy, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on my chest. “I love you too,” she whispers back.
I press a kiss to her temple and close my eyes. The truth—the full, messy truth about who I am and what I’ve been through—can wait. Right now, she’s enough. And for the first time in years, I let that be enough.
Jasmine’s POV
His eyes. Haunted, stormy, and drowning in shadows I can’t fully see, but I can feel. The weight of whatever he’s carrying is crushing him, and all I want to do is tear it away, piece by piece, until he’s free. Until he’s whole.
But right now, he’s breaking in front of me.
His breaths are ragged, shallow, like he’s being suffocated by something invisible. His skin is damp with sweat, and his hands tremble as if he’s trying to hold on to something that keeps slipping away. And yet, his eyes—they’re locked on mine. Desperate. Wild. Like I’m the only thing keeping him tethered to the earth. And maybe I am.
“Ryder,” I whisper, my voice steady, even if my heart is pounding out of my chest. “Listen to me. Breathe with me. In and out, nice and slow. You’re okay. I’ve got you p>
I cup his face in my hands, my thumbs brushing away the cold sweat slicking his skin. I press my forehead to his, forcing him to feel my presence, to hear my breaths. Deep, steady breaths. For him. “Come on, baby. Breathe with me p>
His eyes squeeze shut, his jaw clenched so tightly I think he might shatter. I feel the tremor in his body, the war he’s fighting inside himself. And God, it breaks me to see him like this. This man—this strong, relentless, fearless man—he had pulled a dagger through Jason’s chest without even thinking twice. To see him reduced to a shaking mess by demons I can’t see but know are there.
But I won’t let them take him. Not now. Not ever.
His breath finally hitches, and then slowly, it starts to match mine. The storm in his chest doesn’t vanish, but it starts to lose its grip. He’s still here. Still fighting.
𝕃𝖆𝙩𝓮𝑠𝖙 с𝗁𝓪𝗉𝓉𝗲𝗋𝗌
“Come on,” I murmur, lacing my fingers with his. “Let’s get out of here.” I pull him up gently, his weight heavy against me. His legs are shaky, and I can feel his hesitation. But I won’t let go. My grip on his hand is firm, unyielding. I guide him down the hallway, every step measured, careful. Like he might shatter if I move too fast.
When we finally reach the bedroom, I close the door behind us, shutting out the cold world outside. The air here feels different—warmer, safer. Our space. I lead him to the bed, and he sinks onto it, his head falling into his hands. His entire body is shaking, and my heart aches with a helplessness I’ve never felt before.
No, not now. I refuse to be helpless now.
I kneel in front of him, taking his hands in mine again. “Do you need anything?” I ask softly, searching his face for any hint of what to do, how to fix this.
He doesn’t answer, but his fingers tighten around mine, pulling me closer until I’m standing between his knees. His eyes lift to mine, dark and vulnerable in a way that slices through me. He’s holding on by a thread, and somehow, I’m the thread.
“I just need you,” he rasps, his voice broken and raw.
By the goddess, those words. They hit me deep, making my chest swell with a fierce, protective love. I lean in, pressing my lips to his. The kiss is soft, hesitant. I’m afraid he’ll break if I push too hard. But his grip on me tightens, and he kisses me back, harder, like he needs to drown in me to escape whatever darkness is chasing him.
I let him.
I let him pour his fear, his frustration, his need into that kiss, and I give back everything I have. My love, my strength, my promise that he’s not alone. My hands slide into his hair, tugging him closer, anchoring him to me. His body presses against mine, desperate and urgent, and I feel the tremors start to ease.