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Wren

S taring into the bathroom mirror, I remove my earrings and grab a cloth to wipe off my makeup. As I wet the fabric under the faucet, a loud knock echoes through the house.

Not expecting anyone, I tiptoe into the living room and peer through the blinds.

I’d know that silhouette anywhere.

Still in my sundress and with a face full of makeup, I open the door—and come face-to-face with the stormy ocean eyes I can never seem to outrun.

“Why weren’t you there?” Carson’s voice is low and sharp. The words hit me harder than they should.

I maintain a blank expression, my brain taking a few seconds to catch up and figure out what he’s talking about.

Game night.

But he has no right to demand anything from me right now; he’s the one who broke me .

I’ll be asking the questions.

“Why are you here ?” I bite back.

His jaw flexes, clenching the muscles so tightly that I’m sure I’ll hear a tooth crack soon. “Don’t go out with him.”

“W-what?” My brows lift. Of course he knows about the date. Indie said she wouldn’t say anything unless he asked; apparently, he did.

“Don’t. Go. Out with him... You can’t.”

The audacity has anger sparking in my chest.

Who the hell does he think he is?

“Why not? You don’t have a say in my personal life, Carson. We’re just friends , remember?”

He exhales in frustration, shaking his head.

“Because you’re mine, Wren.”

The words slip from his mouth so quickly that I wonder if I heard him correctly.

There’s no way.

“ Yours ?” I let out a breathless laugh. “Are you on some new medication I should know about?”

He steps closer, his hand moving to cup my jaw.

I stand frozen, my breath faltering.

“Yes,” he says softly. “You’re mine just as much as I’ve always been yours, Wren.” His thumb brushes over my chin. “I was a damn idiot before, but I can’t—… I can’t keep fighting this, Tink. I can’t just be your friend anymore. We both know we’ve always been meant to be more.”

I remain silent in his grasp, listening to his confessions, him saying that he’s mine and I’m his… I have no words left in me.

He shakes his head, his eyes trailing over my lips as he releases a sigh. “Ask me again.”

This close, his eyes are bluer than I’ve ever realized. Sometimes, I forget how intense the sapphire is that swirls around his pupils. But right now, I’m lost in the deep ocean pools dancing in front of me.

My breath stutters. “Ask you…?”

“Ask me to kiss you, Wren,” he clarifies, tracing his thumb along my jaw. “I need to know that you still want me the way that I want you.”

As he studies my face, my heart sings at his words.

He’s giving me the choice—one last moment to walk away.

But I’m done pretending. Tonight, I was supposed to go on a date. At the last minute, I canceled. I just couldn’t go through with it, not when every part of me belongs to him.

I tried my best to convince myself that I could move past Carson and that I was ready to date and open my heart to another person.

But that nagging part of my brain wouldn’t allow it.

I’ve always known deep down that Carson has had feelings for me, too—he’s just too stubborn to let go of his worries.

After a long pep talk with myself, I decided I would find a way to show him that he is enough. I would discover another way to get across to him. Some tiny part of me hoped hearing about the date would finally make him snap—and apparently, it worked.

Carson’s lips part once more, but I cut in before he has a chance to speak again.

“Carse…” I whisper, placing my hands on his shoulders. “Will you k?—”

He doesn’t wait for the rest.

With both hands cradling my jaw, he draws me close to his body as his lips finally crash into mine with years of pent-up hunger.

He doesn’t kiss me like it’s the first time—he kisses me like we’ve done it a hundred times before.

Or maybe it’s like he’s been starving for years, waiting for this just as much as I have.

All I really know is that every kiss before this one was wrong.

Because this ?

This is absolutely right.