Too close. Suffocating. No space left between us.
"Not you," he murmured, eyes locked on mine. "Not them. Only me."
I hated the way my breath hitched. Hated that he noticed. His gaze sharpened, watching every flicker of panic on my face.
Daring me to break.
I stumbled back, desperate to create distance.
"Stop acting like some tragic hero," I hissed, even though my voice trembled. "That's not who you are, KD."
But he didn't flinch. "Never said I was."
He took another step forward. And suddenly, I was cornered. My back hit the cold stone wall of the terrace.
No escape.
His voice dipped lower—like smoke slipping through every crack in my defenses. "You really think I care how they see me?"
I couldn't look away. "You think I care what happens to me after this?"
His stare burned. "There's only one thing I've ever cared about."
I couldn't breathe.
"And you already know what it is."
Everything went still. Dangerous. Breathless.
Then suddenly—his hand was there. Fingers brushing my wrist. Slow. Deliberate. He wasn't grabbing me. Wasn't forcing anything. But that made it worse.
Because I didn't pull away. I couldn't.
His voice softened to a whisper—so close I could feel it against my skin. "Tell me, Riyee."
His thumb gently brushed my pulse. "What are you more afraid of?"
I couldn't answer. I didn't dare.
Then he said the words that shattered me. "That I'm the one burning everything down..."
A pause.
His eyes didn't waver. "...or that you liked the fire?"
Silently. Internally.
I hated him. I hated myself.
But I didn't stop him when he stepped even closer—so close I could feel his breath, the heat of his skin.
I didn't stop him when his forehead lightly touched mine. No words. No lies. Nothing but the truth between us. I hated that I didn't want him to pull away. I hated that I wanted more. But neither of us moved.
And somewhere deep inside—where it was already way too late—I realized:
I wasn't scared of falling anymore.
I was scared of how far I'd already fallen.
But before I could breathe—
Before I could even pull away—
A voice sliced through the air.
Cold.
Precise.
"How touching."
I froze.
My blood turned to ice. KD's jaw clenched—but he didn't move.
I didn't have to turn around. The sound of her heels was enough.
Bianchi Madriaga.
I barely had time to react before her hand closed around my wrist.
YOU ARE READING
STRINGS BETWEEN US
Teen Fiction"A slow-burn teen romance threaded with secrets, rivalries, and a dangerous past neither of them remembers-until it comes for them." ✧ STRINGS BETWEEN US ✧ She left her crown behind. He ruled with silence. But some strings pull-no matter how far you...
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN: OF SHATTERED MASKS, DANGEROUS FIRES, AND THE QUEEN'S GAMBI
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