NOT ROYALE ENOUGH [18+]

32💋

CHRIS

"Sarah..." Her name barely escaped my lips as I stepped closer, desperate to close the space she'd put between us. The chill of her absence still lingered on my palm, like ice seeping into my skin, an emptiness I couldn't ignore.

I reached for her arm, just to anchor her, to reassure her-or maybe myself-but the moment my fingers grazed her sleeve, she flinched and sidestepped, pulling farther away.

The sting hit harder than it should've, sharp and unrelenting, leaving confusion and something dangerously close to hurt churning in my chest. Why was she retreating like this? What had I done?

Everything was perfect, so fucking perfect and now this?

Maybe I said something wrong, but what... fuck.... what the hell did I say to ruin this.

"You got your dance," she said quickly, grabbing her phone and heels. Her hands trembled, and if I looked closely, I could swear she was afraid. "I'll see you tomorrow."

No way! She can't leave just yet. "Sarah, did I say something wrong? If I did, I-"

"No," she cut me off, her voice breaking slightly. "You're fine. I just... I need to go."

Please... don't go.

She turned to leave, but her foot caught on the edge of the bench. The sharp crash of glass shattering on the floor stopped her in her tracks. Her head whipped around, her eyes wide in alarm.

"Shit." She dropped her phone and heels onto the bench, crouching down to pick up the broken pieces of the wine glass. "I'm so sorry--"

"Stop!" My voice came out sharper than I intended, startling her. She froze mid-reach, her fingers hovering over a shard of glass.

"Don't move," I ordered, stepping closer. My gaze darted to her bare feet against the cold ground and how if I didn't stop how she would have been injured within seconds.

"I'm just cleaning it-"

"No," I cut her off firmly, crouching down beside her. "You're not wearing any damn shoes for fuck sake. You'll cut yourself."

She blinked up at me, her lips parting to argue, but before she could say anything, I slid my arms under her and scooped her off the ground in one fluid motion.

"Chris! Put me down!" she protested, squirming in my hold.

"Not a chance," I said through gritted teeth, my grip tightening as I carried her away from the mess. "You're not getting hurt because you're too stubborn to listen."

Her hands instinctively clutched at my shoulders, her wide eyes locked on mine. "I wasn't going to hurt myself. You're overreacting."

"And you're reckless," I shot back, lowering her onto the ground, far away from the glass. I crouched in front of her, making sure her feet were safely glass-free. "What if you stepped on something? What if-" I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair. "What if you hurt yourself?"