KAEL
The moment the ballroom swallowed her, I swear something in me forgot how to breathe.
She was light breaking through marble… emerald and gold and the kind of beauty that could unmake a man just by looking his way. And I loved that she had that power. Loved how it felt holy and sinful all at once.
Every step she took toward me, the noise around us blurred into something distant, unimportant. I'd already been through every version of falling for her… the soft kind, the violent kind, the kind that made the world taste sweeter… and somehow, it still wasn't enough. Every time I saw her, I fell all over again, deeper, darker, harder.
I wanted her close. Always close. Close enough that no one could even think of reaching for her.
By the time I reached her, I was already half undone. She smiled up at me, shy, glowing, and I knew I was done pretending to be civil. I took her hand, pressed my palm to the small of her back, and led her toward the group waiting near the stage.
