sebastian only realized how much he had missed her touch when her lips found his. he breathed her in with pleasure, the sensation of her soft lips against his, the warmth of her smooth skin under his grip. this girl was the closest thing he had to a weakness. she probably didn’t know, by what sebastian analyzed and made her feel, how much power she had on him. melody had gotten the closest to his heart, and she was too strong. too adamant. in the ceaseless struggle between what bastian felt and what he told himself he should feel, should act, she always tipped the scale and it took him every ounce of resolve in his dark heart to deny her time and time again. but the thought of having her around again was enough to make his heart beat faster. the greatest risk he ever took. but as soon as she began the kiss, she ended it, leaving sebastian’s lips parted into a calculated smirk. they were both vulnerable, the difference is that years of abuse had left him apt to hide it under the surface. his hand left her wrist to rest on her chin, his touch a lot softer now, as he ran his thumb over the skin of her bottom lip, releasing it from her bite. melody’s lips were always his favorite part of the girl’s anatomy. followed by eyes so dark they were, at times, inescrutable. if she only knew how many nights he wished he could unravel all of her never ending mysteria underneath those eyes, maybe she wouldn’t feel as if she was the vulnerable one. why do you want me to stay? he replayed the question countless times in the short span of a few seconds. ‘because i…’ bas knew exactly what she wanted him to say. would it constitue a lie? he didn’t know anymore. he’d pushed love so far away from him he had trouble connecting with that concept once more. the last person he did love, during all his life – and theirs, sadly, had been his sister. and it only broke him further. so what good would a broken boy’s love do to melody? she deserved so much more than him. his scheming, calculating self. and yet some part of his selfish brain would cling to her, because he knew damn well no one would match her rapid-fire wit quite like he did. ‘because i want you to. simple as that. we are the thing epics were written about. you challenge me in ways i couldn’t have dreamed of.’ it was too little. too short of emotion to convince her, but he couldn’t say the real words. ‘i can’t… i don’t know how to say what you expect of me, melody.’ he started over, more candid and his eyes devoid of any defenses he built up. ‘but i want you. so don’t go.’
the thought of giving up taunted the corners of her mind. the male had been so rigid, his tough exterior making it difficult to penetrate to his core. perhaps he was nothing more than ice, frozen. frozen in time. never progressing, never changing. a perfectly chiseled sculpture, beautiful to look at but painful to touch. to hold. for more than a moment would cause it to melt, leaving you with nothing — leaving you as cold as ice. yet his touch felt warm, his thumb resting delicately on her lips. her hand wrapped softly around his, listening intently to each word. ‘sebastian,’ she muttered, voice as calm as the sea. there was an aching in her bones, a tremor beneath her skin. something about his touch was exhilarating. a drug she couldn’t resist. she felt as if she’d always wander back, even miles down another path. ‘i don’t want to be what epics are wrote about, and you don’t know what i want you to say.’ her voice was weary, but her fight was far from over. ‘i don’t expect you to say that.’ the word was harsh against her tongue. ‘i don’t expect you to confess your undying love for me or to magically ride off into the sunset. i don’t expect roses or fancy dates or dramatic romantic gestures. i don’t expect any of that.’ how could she? perhaps she may have dreamed of it was once or twice, but the female was hardly credulous. ‘i just want more than this.’ her hands gestured to the empty space surrounding them. ‘tell me it’s because you like my laugh, or you don’t completely hate my cooking. tell me it’s because i make you happy, or your life isn’t as miserable in my presence. tell me it’s because i remember your favorite color, or you like the way i say your name. tell me i’m your favorite person to waste time with. just please,’ her dark hues locked with his, a small glimmer of hope reflecting in her eyes. ‘give me something. give me something to work with. because you may be content with loneliness but i’m not, not since i met you. i may love you, sebastian villiers,' there it was, the word she danced so delicately around. fragile on the lips. shattering every wall she’d ever built. ‘but i can’t stay if you won’t at least try to let me in.’ she was adamant in breaching the surface of the male, revealing the innermost layers of the world’s greatest riddle. she’d probably never fully figure out his depths, perhaps she’d drown within the currents, but that was a risk she was willing to take. he was worth it. he was worth every ounce of pain she could possibly endure, but her pride was beast. a monster dulled the sound of his voice, tamed by his touch. she needed to know he wanted this as much as she had, even a smidgen. her pride would hardly allow her to walk a mile for someone who wouldn’t take two steps for her, even had her heart wanted to. ‘we can start small,’ she offered, voice as if a hum. ‘what’s your favorite movie?’
