The music throbbed in the background, a pulsating beat that matched the erratic rhythm of Selene's heart. Kieran's presence lingered around her, heavy and undeniable. The moment they shared, the intensity of his touch, still burned on her skin, a reminder of everything she had promised herself she would never allow again.
But there he was. In the same city. In the same space. And the way he looked at her—like no time had passed—made everything inside her twist with longing, regret, and a strange kind of anticipation.
She turned away, breaking the contact, though the magnetism between them was undeniable. She moved to the far side of the bar, pouring herself another drink, her hand shaking slightly as she poured the amber liquid into the glass. She needed something to calm the chaos inside her. But she knew, deep down, that no drink would erase the memory of his touch, the weight of his words.
Kieran was standing just behind her, his figure dark against the neon glow of the club. She could feel his gaze on her, burning through her even from a distance. She tried to ignore it, focusing instead on the glass in her hand, the familiar burn of the alcohol as it slid down her throat. But her thoughts kept drifting back to him.
What was he doing here? Why had he returned now, after all this time? And why did it feel like the years hadn't mattered at all, like their connection was still as raw and powerful as it had ever been?
She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts, but when she opened them again, he was standing beside her, as though he had materialized out of thin air.
"Selene," he said, his voice low and quiet, a whisper just for her. The way he said her name, like it was a secret, a prayer, made her stomach tighten.
She didn't look at him. She couldn't. Not now. Not when the need to push him away battled with the yearning to pull him closer.
"I didn't expect to see you again," she said, her voice brittle, guarded. "Not like this."
"And yet, here I am," Kieran replied softly. He leaned in just a fraction, close enough that she could feel the warmth of his body radiating toward her. "You don't look surprised."
She turned to face him, keeping her expression neutral, though her pulse betrayed her. "I didn't expect you to be so…" Her voice faltered as she tried to find the right word. "Persistent."
He smiled, but there was no humor in it. "You know me better than that."
"I used to," she shot back, narrowing her eyes. "But you left, Kieran. You disappeared without a word. What was I supposed to think?"
His expression darkened, and for a moment, Selene saw a flicker of something—regret? Pain?—in his eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it had come.
"I had my reasons," he said, his voice rough with something unsaid. "I never wanted to hurt you, Selene."
Her heart clenched at the sincerity in his tone, but she quickly shoved the feeling away. She couldn't allow herself to be soft. Not now. Not with everything that had happened.
"Don't do this," she said, her voice low and firm. "Don't make me believe in something that will just break me again. I'm not that girl anymore, Kieran."
He was silent for a long moment, the air between them thick with unspoken words. Then, slowly, he reached out, his hand brushing against hers, just barely.
"You don't have to be that girl," he said quietly. "But I can't walk away. Not again."
She tried to pull her hand away, but his grip tightened, just enough to stop her. It wasn't forceful, but it was enough to make her stop in her tracks, to make her feel something that terrified her.
"Stop it, Kieran," she whispered. Her voice was shaky now, the facade she had built cracking. "You don't understand. I can't do this. I can't let you back in."
His eyes softened, and for a fleeting moment, she saw the vulnerability she had always known was there, hidden beneath his hardened exterior.
"I know what I'm asking," he said, his voice low, almost pleading. "But I don't want to leave. Not when I know you're here, fighting battles you shouldn't have to fight alone."
Selene felt a tear slip down her cheek, though she didn't acknowledge it. Instead, she stared at their hands, still pressed together, his thumb brushing over her skin with a tenderness that undid her.
"You left me once," she said, her voice breaking. "You don't get to come back now, not when I've built this life, this distance. Not when I've tried so hard to forget you."
"I never forgot you," he whispered. "And I'm not asking you to forget. I'm asking you to remember."
Her breath hitched as she met his gaze. The world around them seemed to slow, the music fading into the background, until all that existed was the undeniable pull between them.
"You're asking for too much," she said, her voice barely audible, though every part of her screamed to take him back, to let him in.
"I'm asking for you, Selene. For us."
His words were a plea, raw and vulnerable, and she felt them deep in her bones. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to steady her breath, to make sense of the storm swirling inside her.
When she opened them again, she found herself falling into him, drawn in by the magnetic force between them. His lips brushed against her forehead, a soft, tender touch, and she closed her eyes again, savoring the moment before everything changed.
But then, as if the world had decided to remind them of their dangerous reality, a voice cut through the haze, harsh and commanding.
"Selene! There you are."
Selene's eyes snapped open, her pulse quickening. She turned toward the source of the voice, her heart sinking at the sight of Damien, standing across the room, a look of possessive fury in his eyes.
Kieran's grip on her hand tightened, and Selene felt a chill wash over her. The moment they had shared was over. But as Damien made his way toward them, she realized that their fight was only just beginning.