Page 69 of Rescuing Rebel
Her lips, once soft and inviting, press into a hard line. She refuses to meet my eyes. Instead, she fixates on something beyond me. Up close, I’m once again struck by her beauty. Beauty marred by dark shadows under her eyes.
They hint at secrets and pain, things she’s not telling me.
What have you been through, my dearest Rebel?
Frustration bubbles up within me until it suddenly boils over. I give her a little shake, my hands trembling with anger. “Are you one of them now?” My voice breaks on the last word.
I have to know the truth. The uncertainty of not knowing feels like having a knife stabbed in my chest, twisting with every heartbeat.
“Believe what you want, but stay out of my way.” Her words are a slap to my face, stinging and unexpected. She shoves me back.
Viciously.
The force of her aggression leaves me staggering.
Her eyes blaze with a fire I’ve never seen before, filled with contempt and something else—something like sorrow. “For my safety and yours, we have no past. You’re nobody to me.”
“Nobody?”
“Yes. Nobody.”
“Tell me why you’re here.”
“No.”
Her words hang in the air like a heavy, suffocating weight. My chest aches. It’s that knife twisting. Sharp, physical pain causes a hitch in my breath.
“No?”
“That’s what I said.”
“No, as in you can’t? Or won’t?”
“Does it matter?” She lets out a deep sigh and glances down the hall as if expecting someone to appear at any moment.
The sweet smell of her perfume, once so comforting, mocks me, a reminder of what I lost when she walked out of my life.
“Of course, it matters.”
“I don’t have time for this. Please—just leave me alone.”
She can’t be here of her own free will. I refuse to believe she would do such a thing.
We stand there, two people who once meant everything to each other, now complete strangers. The only thing hanging in the crushing silence between us is the sound of my ragged breaths.
“I can help you.” She turns to storm away, but I grab her wrist, stopping her. “Don’t shut me out.”
Rebel halts, eyes downcast. Slowly, she turns back, unshed tears glistening. Gently, she reaches up to caress my cheek. Her touch is electric, sending desire burning through my veins. I close my eyes, leaning into her palm, covering her delicate hand with mine. We reconnect for a suspended moment, and the rest of the world disappears.
When I meet her gaze again, her pupils are blown wide. She feels this. I brush my thumb over her parted lips. Her breath catches, and she sways closer. We’re two magnets drawn by an irresistible force.
“Rebel...” I whisper her name like a prayer, overcome with longing. “You must trust me.”
“I wish it were that easy.” Her entire body trembles.
Unable to resist, I pull her into my arms. She comes willingly, melting against me. Her body is soft and warm, so achingly familiar. I bury my face in her fiery locks, breathing her in. The floral scent brings back vivid memories of our passion. She clings to me tightly, our hearts hammering in tandem.
When we finally pull back, her face is just inches from mine. A single movement would bring our lips together. Her eyes keep darting to my mouth. I trace her lower lip with my thumb, desire raging through me. She leans into my touch, eyes fluttering closed.