My heart was already traitorously thudding at the sight of him. He was here. Real. Inches away. I wanted to grab him by the collar and kiss him until I couldn't breathe—but god, I also wanted to slap him. Repeatedly.
I turned, ready to storm back inside. But Kael's hand shot out and wrapped around my wrist. "Aria—"
He tugged gently, just enough to make me stumble into his chest. His arms closed around me. And I—
I froze.
His warmth seeped into my skin, his scent all clean spice and something darker. Something mine.
"I'm sorry," he murmured into my hair. "I should have said something."
God. He actually sounded sorry.
I hated how easily my anger folded under the weight of his sincerity. My fists curled weakly against his chest. "You can't just…" I muttered, breath catching. "You can't leave me hanging like that. I don't give a fuck if this isn't real, It's still not fair."
