† 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 † Angels Love

Chapter 22

Christopher's POV

I had won. The realization hit me all at once, like a bolt of lightning splitting the sky. I had pushed her to the brink, forced her to admit what I had already known: she had fallen. She'd lost the bet. The stupid, pointless bet we'd made to me just having fun, and enjoyed myself. And now that she had admitted defeat, she was mine. She owed me a rule-breaking, and I knew exactly what I wanted.

A smirk spread across my face, the satisfaction of victory warming me even as the rain soaked through my clothes. Touching. That's what I wanted. I wanted to feel her against me, to taste her tears and the rain on her lips, to hold her so close that nothing else mattered. The storm around us was nothing compared to the storm inside me. My emotions were a whirlwind—anger, longing, desire, and something softer, something I wasn't ready to name.

I took a step forward, my boots splashing through the puddles, each movement driven by a hunger that I couldn't deny any longer. I had tried to protect myself, to push her away, to make her hate me. But seeing her walk away, seeing the pain in her eyes, had shattered the last of my resolve. 

I didn't want to win. 

I wanted her.

"Starly!" I shouted over the roar of the rain, my voice cutting through the darkness, reaching her. I saw her freeze, her back still turned, and for a moment, I thought she might keep walking, might leave me standing here alone with the choices I'd made. But then she turned, slowly, her eyes wide and searching. Her hair clung to her face, wet and tangled, her cheeks streaked with tears that the rain couldn't wash away.

She looked at me with a mixture of hurt and hope, as if she couldn't quite believe I was standing there, calling her name. I stepped closer, my heart pounding, the smirk on my face softening into something more genuine. I had pushed her away, but now I was pulling her back. I couldn't keep running from this, from us.

"I want you to break a rule," I said, my voice low, rough with emotion. Her eyes widened, confusion flickering across her face. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out, just a shuddering breath that seemed to echo my own. "You lost the bet, Starly. And now you owe me."

Her gaze locked onto mine, and for a moment, I thought she might refuse, might turn and run again. But she didn't. Instead, she stood there, her chest rising and falling with each ragged breath, waiting, listening. I could see the conflict in her eyes, the battle between fear and desire, between holding back and giving in.

"Kiss me," I said, taking another step forward, my voice barely more than a whisper. "Touch me, Star. That's the rule I want you to break."

The rain fell harder, drumming against the ground, soaking through my shirt, my hair, my skin. The world around us blurred into nothing, the gray mist swallowing everything but the two of us. She was close now, close enough that I could feel the warmth of her breath against my face, see the way her eyes shone with unshed tears.

"Christopher..." she whispered, her voice trembling. I could see the hesitation, the fear, the uncertainty. But beneath it all, there was something else—something that mirrored my own desperate need.

I reached out, my hand finding her cheek, my thumb brushing away the raindrops that clung to her skin. Her eyes fluttered closed at my touch, a soft sigh escaping her lips. 

I touched her. I broke the rule.

I moved closer, my other hand finding its way to her waist, pulling her against me. She didn't resist, didn't pull away. Instead, she melted into me, her body fitting against mine as if we'd been made for this moment.

I leaned in, my lips finding hers in a kiss that was all hunger and desperation, all the things we'd kept hidden, kept locked away. The taste of her was intoxicating, a mix of rain and salt, her lips soft and yielding beneath mine. The kiss deepened, her hands finding their way to my chest, her fingers curling into the fabric of my shirt, pulling me closer.

The rain fell around us, a curtain of water that hid us from the world, that made this moment feel like it was ours alone. My heart pounded in my chest, the ache that had been building inside me finally finding release. I kissed her harder, my hands sliding up to tangle in her hair, tilting her head back to deepen the kiss. She responded with equal fervor, her body pressing against mine, the heat of her skin searing through the cold of the rain.

I wanted her. 

I needed her. 

And for now, that was enough.