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want to give it.”

“Fuck you,” Coralyn hissed. She was wild now, her chest

heaving in and out for air that wasn’t getting in. “You don’t get

to tell me what to do. You don’t even know me. You’re the

worst, Giana Thompson. Just the worst. You haven’t just

treated me badly, I’m sure. You’ve probably treated everyone

badly. You’ve taken things from them that weren’t yours to

take, and you took something so precious from me, and now

you want to take it all. I’m not giving it to you. You don’t get

to own all my secrets. You don’t get to own any of me.”

“I don’t want to own you.” That’s true. “I don’t want to hurt

you.” That’s highly debatable depending on the circumstances.

I want to hurt your body. I want to hurt you so sweetly that it

breaks you wide open because you’ll like it. You’ll like it

because it feels so good. We’re good that way. I know we are.

“I don’t want to hurt you in the ways you don’t want to be

hurt,” Giana amended, though it probably wasn’t wise to say

it.

Heat flared in Coralyn’s eyes, like she knew full well what

Giana was talking about. The air felt charged between them.

Something was going to break. It was either them or the

tension between them. They were either going to splinter apart

or they’d be okay.

“Tell me,” Giana prompted. “Tell me what you need,

Coralyn. Because if it’s me, you have me. I’m here. Let me

have some of that pain. Let me take it for you. You’re not

alone. I’m sorry for who I was in the past, but all I can do is

change for you now. You told me that we’re in love. Let me

figure out what that means. Let me figure it out with you. I

can’t do that if you walk out on me. Even if I deserve it.”