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Iup into his face, I said, “Kissin my voice “Take a memory”
Eric hesitated His eyes bore intoapart each inch of aze narrowed as he walked toward me His head tilted down, his eyes hardened and ruthless The ring of fire in his eyes ignited around each pool of gold as hein s were distant—like a memory The lack of fear made me reckless It ers snaked around the back of ed Each one was hard and smooth I could sense his stoh our clothes With one swift pull, my lips were a breath from his
His voice was barely a whisper The words slid out of his mouth like vipers, “I could kill you”
My eyes were locked on his and didn’t waiver “But you won’t You need me The only reason you’re still alive is that ward— you You need me I need you We’re forced to deal with each other”
Eric’s eyes tore me apart thread by thread I unraveled in his arms I saw aze would have undone ut and ered in the back of my ainst hts It was a fact It was a piece of infor else Eric’s breath washed overit throb
Eric hesitated, seeue pressed to the back of my teeth as my jaw tensed He still didn’t ritted teeth
Without another word, Eric’s lips shtened as his fingers pressed painfully into my skull I didn’t writhe, I didn’t cry out I forced myself to relax in his arainst my tooth The taste of blood filled ers pressed hard enough to bruise my pale skin I didn’t move I didn’t scream I made Eric what he was It was er felt the power of their pain It just was—a fact—like any other I took his life I ended him He is what is, because of me And I could accept it
I felthands My lips parted as the kiss intensified I didn’t make him force me I said I’d offer him what he needed and I intended to keep er pressed into me like he wanted to crush me The intense hatred that initially pushed his lips to ue past hts of sweet shy Eric rushed to the front ofmy waist released her until it rested on my cheek
Eric released h so our lips weren’t intertwined, but our faces were still touching I could still feel his warm, silky breath slide across ed breaths, “What were you just thinking of?”
I kept my cheek pressed to his face, so I couldn’t see his eyes Eyes that dalance Eyes that reflected exactly what I was My heart was racing in my chest and I wondered when that started I felt relaxed Nearly indifferent Nearly “You The way you were… before I changed you Quiet Sweet Shy” My voice trailed off His hand was still clutching the side of er bear to hold on Ito look at hiered until I finally asked, “Did you get everything?”
He looked at hs that used to coued hi does it take to retell a story? To capture every detail? There are ten-thousand years of memories inside of your head One kiss won’t unlock all of the away The smile vanished, and the tension flowed back into his shoulders and down his ar out of ti hazy Some of the et everything?” My jaw tightened as my face felt hot I refused to look at hiape “Holy shit! Are you blushing?” he laughed
At ti What could possibly make me blush? And it was Eric I didn’t like hi, but when his lips were on mine… I don’t knoas too numb to know
Eric was suddenly serious, waiting and watching ain, refusing to think more about it Or what it meant “How many times?” I asked
“How much do you trustisn’t exactly floating to the surface I have to find it It’s like stu to find a piece of coal It doesn’t shine It has no color The only way to find it is to grab it with your hands And your mind is a e, because you don’t trust me It makes the s hiding in every corner” He sed and looked away, “And even when I do find my memories, it doesn’t feel like they’re er I have to sort through everything to find what I’ for”
Glancing away from him, I nodded “Fine So, it’ll take a while is what you’re saying? You can’t grab everything until we both trust each other” He opened his ain when I archedto deny it has anything to do with you It’s not just me, Eric Trust takes two people, not one Me my eyes closed, I leaned forward and pushed , “Which will be never”