“The more you know, the closer you get, the more pain you can cause.”
“Baby, I’m not—”
“I need more than your words, Seb. I’ve heard enough bad ones. If you’re serious, then I’m going to need more solid evidence.”
Lifting her hand, in a move very, very, unlike me, I bring the back of it to my lips and press a kiss there.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
The warm sea water laps at our feet and ankles as we continue walking hand in hand, the sun sinking in the sky making our shadows stretch ahead of us.
“Do you really think the person who stabbed me will try again?” she asks after the longest time.
“Yes,” I state firmly.
“It could have just been a random attack.”
“Don’t be naïve, Stella. You’re smarter than that. He stabbed you with your own knife. Unless there’s something you’re not telling me…”
She tenses and immediately tries to rip her hand from mine.
“What the hell, Seb?” she barks when I refuse to let her go.
“I was just asking. If there’s anything you haven’t told us about the lead up to that day, then…”
“There isn’t. I ran because my dad just dropped the bomb that the guy trying to fucking kiss me was my brother.”
“He kissed you?”
“Really?” she snaps. “You’re really going to get jealous now?”
“He wanted what was mine.”
“Firstly,” she spits, turning to me and forcing me to stop walking, “I’m not yours. I’m not a thing that belongs to anyone, especially not you.” I nod, although I fully intend to prove her wrong. She’s mine. End of. “And two—”
“Secondly, you mean.”
“W-what?”
“You said firstly, and then said two for your second point.”
“Fucking hell. Are you always this fucking— No, don’t answer that, I already know. Secondly,” she rolls her eyes at me, although from the hard set of her jaw, I wouldn’t put it past her to give me a matching scar, “he’s my fucking brother. We share the same DNA. If I’m going to be running away with any of your friends, it won’t be Toby. Theo, though… he’s ho—”
My hand clamps over her mouth.
“Do not finish that sentence. You’re mine, Stella. I might love my boys, but they’ve already had enough of you.”
I don’t need to pull my hand away to know she’s smiling. I fucking know why, too.
“Yeah, all right. You hit your target every fucking time that night, Princess.”
Dragging my hand away from her face, I find the exact smug grin I was expecting.
“He was the best kisser, you know. Although Daemon did this thing with his tongue that—”
This time I cut her words off with my own lips, plunging my tongue into her mouth to find hers and prove that the only person she needs to be kissing is me.
Looping our joined hands around her back, I drag her closer, pressing the front of her body against mine, allowing her to feel exactly what one kiss from her does to me.