“ If I asked you to run away with me, would you? ” ╱ charlie
this is not the first time charlie has been asked this question. not even out of her teen years yet, a man dangled the promise of a life filled with danger and excitement in front of her face. and stupidly, she'd said yes without a single second thought. what a disastrous—and bloody—mistake that had been.
now that the history is repeating itself, her throat clicks as she swallows hard. past memories flood her brain, making her feel a cold weight in her gut. she can't make the same mistake again. she can't let herself be broken twice.
she deliberately jerks her chin away, averting klaus's eyes as her gaze drifts to the side. oh, but her body's too keen on betraying her. her pulse is frantic, her heart hammering so loud against her chest she swears he must be able to see it thudding against her flesh. it's a mix of terror and thrill, and it's making her dizzy. this always happens when he is close.
a nervous charlie stays frozen, saying nothing. she chews on the inside of her cheek, and her hands slide down, pressing hard against her hips, wiping away the sweat on her palms before he notices. the clock is ticking, and she knows a man like klaus isn't going to wait forever for her to find her spine. even if he could.
"i—" the syllable dies on her tongue. god, she needs to clear the static in her head. she musters every scrap of courage she has left, and draws a lungful of air into her chest before forcing her blue gaze to lock onto his own. "before i answer, i need you to promise me something." her voice is quiet, but she holds his stare. this is a heavy gamble she's about to make. "do you promise not to hurt me?"
types of yearning sentence starters