Expected (18+)

18

Valentina

Then, finally, lips find mine.

The kiss was intoxicating—like tasting adrenaline for the first time and realizing you'd never be satisfied with anything less. It wasn't gentle. It wasn't sweet. It was the kind of kiss that ripped the air out of your lungs and replaced it with fire.

His hands gripped my waist not leaving any room for space, I knew what this kiss was about to stir up, we were just arguing— now we're kissing.

In the bathroom of a gala I had no intention of attending. Under too-bright lights and behind a locked door. All glitter and porcelain and sin.

And thank God I showed up.

Because now, I was pressed against the counter, my hands gripping his jacket, my pulse thudding in my ears. He pulled back just an inch, eyes flickering down to my lips, then back to mine.

"You still mad at me?" he asked, voice rough, low, and entirely too smug.

I swallowed, breathless. "Don't flatter yourself."

He smirked, fingers sliding beneath the hem of my dress like a threat. "You kissed me back."

"You kissed me first."

"And you didn't stop me."

Silence pulsed between us, thick with everything we couldn't say.

"Why?" Is the one thing I could get out, why did he do this to me, why did he hurt me after promising not to, why is he so good at getting me to forgive him.

"Val-" I cut him off "No, don't Val me— I just want to know why?" He stared at me his eyes not wondering anywhere but my eyes that were quickly filling with tears.

Ofcourse, I didn't want to start an argument after we just kissed. But I couldn't go on without knowing why he did everything he did.

Out of spite? to hurt me? did I do something to make him feel like he had to do that?

He took a slow breath, his fingers tracing the edge of my dress, like he was holding on to me for dear life. "Because," he said, voice raw but steady, "every time I see you, it feels like I'm fighting a war inside myself. I don't want to hurt you... but I can't stop either."

His words hit me like a punch, confusing and aching all at once. "Then why stay?" I whispered, voice cracking. "Why come back and kiss me if you're just going to tear me apart?" Again.

He looked down for a second, jaw tightening. When he met my gaze again, there was something fierce in his eyes, something vulnerable. "Because walking away was never an option. Not when it's you."

The silence that fell between us wasn't empty—it was filled with everything left unsaid, everything we both feared to admit. I wanted to hate him for what he'd done, but standing there, heart pounding, I realized, I couldn't hate him.

"I want to be with you, Val," he says, placing his hand on my cheek.

His hand was warm against my skin, steady and sure in a way that made my chest tighten. His eyes searched mine, raw and honest, like he was laying himself bare for the first time.

"I want to be with you, Val," he said again, voice barely above a whisper but heavy with meaning.

For a moment, I couldn't speak. The weight of those words, so simple yet so powerful, settled between us. Every doubt, every fight, every broken promise suddenly felt small compared to the truth I saw in his eyes.

"You don't know how much I've wanted to hear that," I finally admitted, my voice shaking.

He leaned in closer, his forehead resting against mine. "Then don't just hear it—believe it."

His breath mingled with mine, soft and steady, grounding me. The world outside that bathroom faded away—the gala, the glitter, the chaos. There was only this moment, fragile and raw, but ours.

I reached up, fingers tracing the line of his jaw. "I'm scared, Ezra. Scared you'll hurt me again."

He nodded slowly. "I know. And I'm not asking for forever right now. Just for a chance. To prove I'm worth it."

The vulnerability in his voice cracked through every wall I'd built. I let my guard down just a little, allowing the hope to seep in.

"Okay," I whispered. "One chance."

His smile was slow and real, lighting up his face in a way that made my heart ache. "That's all I need."

And then, with nothing left between us but the promise of something new, his lips found mine once more—soft, sure, and full of everything we both had been too afraid to say.

——

Short chapter I'm sorry guys!