𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 - ᴍᴀᴢᴇ ʀᴜɴɴᴇʀ, ᴛʜᴏᴍᴀꜱ ➀

³⁰, ᴵ ˢᵗⁱˡˡ ˡᵒᵛᵉ ʸᵒᵘ, ᴵ ᵃˡʷᵃʸˢ ʷⁱˡˡ

The Glade is quieter than usual tonight. The fire crackles softly, casting long shadows that dance across the ground. I'm sitting near the edge of the clearing, just out of reach of the others, staring into the flames as my thoughts churn inside my head.

It's been a long day--longer than most. Everything that happened, from the fire in the Map Room to the decision to leave the Glade, has me on edge. But there's one thing that keeps gnawing at
me, pulling at the back of my mind:
Thomas.

I've tried to push the thoughts away, to focus on the bigger picture, but it's impossible. I'm still so angry at him for choosing Teresa over me, for pushing me away when I needed him most. And
yet, even with all that anger, there's something else. Something l've been trying to ignore.I close my eyes, taking a deep breath as I try to calm the storm inside me. It's no use. All I can think about is him-his touch, his scent, the way his eyes seem to look right through me.

"Esme." The sound of his voice startles me, and I open my eyes to see Thomas standing a
few feet away. His expression is tense uncertain, like he's not sure if he should be here. But he doesn't leave. He just stands there, waiting.

"What do you want, Thomas?" I ask, my voice sharper than I intended. He flinches, but doesn't back down.  Instead, he steps closer, his gaze locked on mine. "I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to apologize."

I scoff, turning away from him to stareback into the fire. "For what? For pushing me
away when I needed you? What exactly are you sorry for, Thomas?" He's silent for a moment, and I can feel his eyes on me, burning into my skin. Finally, he speaks, his voice low and
filled with regret. "For all of it. For not being there when you needed me. For hurting you. I was scared, Esme. Scared of everything falling apart. Scared of losing you. And I made a mistake."

I shake my head, not trusting myself to look at him. "It's too late for that Thomas. You made your choice. You chose her."

"Esme, please." He moves closer, and I can feel his presence beside me, the heat of his body seeping into mine. "I know l messed up. But you're not second choice. You never were." I want to believe him. I want to turn to him, to let him pull me into his arms and tell me everything will be okay. But the anger, the hurt, it's still there, clawing at my chest.

"Then why did you rush to her side when I needed you?" I whisper, my voice trembling with emotion. "You clearly didn't mean it when you said you loved me. Why else would you have chose her." He's silent, and I can feel the tension between us, thick and suffocating. I
finally look at him, and the pain in his eyes almost makes me break. Almost.

"I was scared," he repeats, his voice barely above a whisper. "Scared of losing you. Scared of what this place is doing to us. I made the wrong choice, but I'm here now. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere." The raw emotion in his voice, the sincerity in his eyes-it's enough to make the walls I've built around myself start to crack. I take a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart.

"I'm so tired, Thomas," I admit, my voice trembling. "I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of feeling like this." His hand reaches out, gently brushing against my cheek, and the touch sends a
shiver down my spine. "Then don't fight it, Esme. Let me in. Let me be there for you." The vulnerability in his voice, the way his touch sets my skin on fire--I can't fight it anymore. I don't want to.

Before I can second-guess myself, I close the distance between us, my lips crashing against his. The kiss is fierce, desperate, like we're both trying to make up for all the time we've lost. His arms wrap around me, pulling me close, and I can feel the heat of his body pressing
against mine. I gasp against his lips as his hands slide down my back, gripping my waist and
pulling me even closer. 

My hands find their way to his hair, tangling in the dark strands as I pour everything I have into
the kiss--all the anger, all the frustration, all the love I've been trying so hard to deny. Thomas growls low in his throat, and thesound sends a thrill through me. His hands are everywhere, touching exploring, and I can feel the heat between us building, the tension coiling tight like a spring about to snap.

We break apart, both of us breathing hard, and I can see the hunger in his eyes-the same hunger that's burning inside me. He doesn't give me a chance to think, doesn't give me a chance to stop him, because his lips are on mine again, more urgent this time. "Princess," he murmurs against my lips, his voice rough with need. "I need you." 

The words send a jolt through me, and I pull back slightly to look into his eyes. There's no doubt there, no hesitation- just pure, unfiltered desire. "I need you too," I whisper, my voice shaky with anticipation He doesn't waste any time. His hands are on me, pulling me closer, and I can feel the heat of his body seeping into mine. 

His lips trail down my neck, sending shivers of pleasure through me, and I can't help the soft moan that escapes my lips. "Thomas.." I breathe, my hands clutching at his shoulders as he presses me back against the ground. He looks up at me, his eyes dark with desire, and the intensity of his gaze takes my breath away. 

"I love you, Esme," he says, his voice low and filled with emotion. "I love you, and I'm not going
to let anything come between us again.' Before I can respond, his lips are on mine again, and all coherent thoughts disappear. All I can think about is him- his touch, his taste, the way he makes
me feel alive.

We lose ourselves in each other, the rest of the world fading away until it's just the two of us. The Glade, the Maze, all of it disappears, and there's nothing left but this--this moment, this connection between us that's stronger than anything. I've ever known. And as the night wears on, as we lay together in my hut in the aftermath, I realize that maybe, just maybe, we're going to be okay. 

Maybe we can survive this, as long as we have each other.