Chapter 35
Bree
Our fingers were intertwined, Gage’s body so close to mine that our arms felt fused together, as though the universe itself had decided to stitch us into one being for the night. The heat of his skin bled into mine, steady and grounding, a quiet reminder that he wasn’t going anywhere. After the
storm that had broken loose in me earlier, the simple act of being tethered to him felt like
salvation.
Once my sobs had finally dried up and the tremors in my chest eased, he had coaxed me to tell him everything. Not just the vague outlines or the pieces that were easy to carry-but all of it. He
had asked me not to hold back, not to spare a single detail. And I had. The words had tumbled out
of me, jagged and halting at first, then in a rush as though they had been waiting too long behind the dam of my silence. I told him the things I swore I’d never let anyone hear. I left out the names, the specifics of schools and people, but all the pain, all the humiliation, all the ways it had carved
into me-I gave him those.
It felt strange and liberating at once, like ripping open old scars and finding relief in the sting. His hands stayed clasped with mine the whole time, his thumbs brushing small circles over my knuckles, urging me to keep going, to pour it all out. I tried to be objective, tried not to paint myself purely as a victim, because a part of me still believed that maybe I had deserved some of it. But Gage didn’t care for the careful editing-I could see it in his eyes. He only wanted me, raw and
unfiltered. He told me to let it out. He told me he had me.
And God, I believed him.
When I had finally run out of words, when my throat was hoarse and my heart felt like it had been wrung dry, he told me I needed sleep. He insisted on it. After everything-the scholarship disaster, Gabriella, the emotional avalanche-I needed quiet, peace, a chance to rest my mind before it collapsed in on itself.
But all I really wanted was him. I wanted to sink into his arms and never move, to be wrapped in the protective cocoon he always seemed to form around me without even trying. In Gage’s arms, I felt untouchable. No rumor, no betrayal, no ghost from my past could reach me. It was like being encased in armor-not the cold, metallic kind, but something living, breathing, and warm. His presence around me was the safest fortress I had ever known.
“So,” I murmured, my free hand slipping up to curl around the solid muscle of his bicep. The contact was reassuring, grounding me even further in the moment. I tilted my head to glance at his profile, taking in the sharp set of his jaw, the faint furrow in his brow, the way his gaze seemed to drift somewhere far away. He looked like he was carrying the weight of a thousand unspoken thoughts. My heart clenched at the sight. “Are we… okay?”
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He turned then, his face softening as his eyes found mine. Those green eyes-bright and luminous under the silver wash of moonlight-seemed to catch every part of me and hold it steady. His mouth curved into that crooked smile I adored, the one that revealed the dimple on his cheek and made him look both boyish and devastating all at once. For a fleeting moment, he looked carefree, and in that expression I found everything I didn’t know I was still searching for.
“Of course we are, gorgeous,” he said softly, his fingers tightening around mine, giving it a squeeze that sent warmth spilling into me. “What you told me tonight hasn’t changed a thing. I’m still just as crazy about you as I was before, and I think you’re going to have a hard time changing that.”
Relief swept through me so strong it nearly knocked me off balance. My lips curved into a small smile, the edges wobbly, because I still felt so raw, so stripped open. I thought of how ridiculous I must have looked earlier-red-faced and blotchy from crying hysterically for what felt like hours- and yet, here he was, looking at me like I was the only girl on earth worth staring at. Gage had that effect: making it impossible not to smile in his presence, impossible not to feel a kind of ease I hadn’t thought I’d ever know again.
“Good,” I whispered, nestling closer, resting my head against his arm as we walked on in silence. His steady gait, the simple rhythm of our joined steps, soothed me like a lullaby.
When we reached my cabin, he stopped, turning fully to face me. His free hand rose, calloused and warm, to cradle my cheek. The roughness of his skin contrasted with the gentleness of his touch, and the sensation made my breath falter. His thumb brushed along my cheekbone with a slow tenderness, his eyes locked on mine like he was memorizing every inch of my face.
“I want you to know, Bree,” he murmured, his voice lower now, pitched just for me. The intimacy in his tone made my skin prickle. “I will never push you, never force you to do anything you don’t want. I don’t care how fast or slow we go. I don’t care if we never cross that line. As long as I get to be with you, to see you smile, to hold you in my arms, then I’m good.”
Emotion swelled in me so sharp and sudden it nearly broke me all over again. I leaned into his
palm, closing my eyes, savoring the warmth of his hand against my skin. His touch seeped deep, soothing places inside me I hadn’t realized were still raw. “I know,” I whispered, the words slipping out as naturally as breathing, “I don’t feel any pressure from you, Gage. I promise. And if I do, if it
ever feels too fast, I’ll tell you.”
“Anything,” he said firmly, drawing my gaze back to his. His eyes held me steady, unwavering. “I
want you to know you can tell me anything, Bree. Good, bad, happy, sad, anything in between. Okay?”
A fragile smile tugged at my lips, my heart aching with both gratitude and disbelief that I had somehow stumbled into this. “Okay,” I whispered back, nodding slightly against his hand.
“Good girl,” he said, his smile deepening, his dimple flashing. The words sent a shiver through me, not because they were possessive but because they carried so much tenderness, so much
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reassurance, like a balm over every old wound.
Then he leaned down, pressing his mouth to mine.
The kiss was languid, unhurried, every motion deliberate as though he wanted to savor every second. His lips were firm yet gentle, coaxing rather than demanding, and it felt like falling into something I had been created for. My body melted into his with startling ease, every piece of me aligning against him as if we had been designed to fit together.
I couldn’t stop myself from remembering the past, from comparing. With Oliver, everything had been sharp, rushed, messy. I had to learn how to mold myself to him, how to keep up with the unpredictable rhythm he set. But with Gage, it was different. He gave as much as he took, followed my lead as much as I followed his. It wasn’t about dominance-it was about connection. Pure joy, pure heat, pure affection, stitched together in every kiss.
When he finally broke away, his forehead pressed to mine, his breath mingling with mine in the cool night air. It wasn’t enough distance to ease the ache of wanting him-it was just enough to let me see the need mirrored in his eyes. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, unable to resist the pull of his closeness, and felt his arms lock tight around my waist, anchoring me in place.
“Thank you,” I whispered, clinging to the moment like it was too fragile to let slip away.
His voice came back rough and low, vibrating against me. “What are you thanking me for, gorgeous?”
“For listening. For not freaking out. For just… being you,” I breathed, pulling him tighter against me, as though that closeness could somehow make the gratitude sink into him.
Gage
I was freaking out, but probably not in the way she thought. Not in the way she feared. After she poured everything out, the knot of insecurity, the smoldering hatred, the pressure in my chest-was gone. The moment she gave me the whole version, the raw, unfiltered truth of what she’d lived
through, it all made sense. She told me how he made her fall for him, how she’d been treated like
some dirty secret, how she’d walked in and found them together. Every jagged piece fell into place,
and with it came a surge of understanding so strong it nearly knocked me flat.
She hadn’t been keeping me in the dark because she didn’t trust me. She was scared. Scared I’d
see her differently, scared I’d look at her the way those assholes had, scared that I’d decide she
wasn’t worth it. Scared that I’d hurt her too. But none of that mattered-not to me. Nothing about
what she told me changed a damn thing about the way I saw her.
Part of me burned with frustration that she didn’t give me names, didn’t tell me where to find the bastard who had wrecked her. A darker part of me wanted the chance to lay my fists into him, to make him bleed for what he’d done to her. But the rational part-the one that didn’t want to end up in prison-was grateful she hadn’t. Because if I had a name, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop myself.
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“You’re my girl, Bree,” I told her, leaning back just enough to frame her face in my hands. My thumbs brushed the dampness on her cheeks, and I held her steady, forcing her to see me. “And I
mean that. You’re mine, and I’ll never leave. I’ll be right here for you, any time you need me. Okay?”
She nodded, catching her bottom lip between her teeth in that way that drove me insane. God, she was so goddamn gorgeous it almost hurt to look at her. There wasn’t a word in the dictionary strong enough to capture her-captivating, breathtaking, heartbreakingly beautiful-none of it was enough. She was everything new, everything untouched, everything I hadn’t known I needed until
she stood right in front of me.
“Let’s have an amazing summer,” I continued, holding her gaze. Her blue eyes shimmered in the soft wash of moonlight, pulling me under. “Let’s have fun. Let’s be just a little reckless. Let’s enjoy every second while we have it, yeah?”
Her lips curved into a smile that lit her whole face, chasing away the shadows that had clung to her all night. Sure, her eyes were still red and swollen from crying, but behind them was light, happiness breaking through the cracks. “That sounds like a hell of a deal, Adonis.”
My brow arched at her, the corner of my mouth quirking up as a flush spread across her cheeks
and down to her lips.
“What?” she blurted, her voice pitched higher, betraying her embarrassment. “If you get to call me gorgeous, why can’t I call you Adonis?”
A laugh rumbled low in my chest. “You can call me whatever the f**k you want, gorgeous-just as long as you call me.” My voice dropped, the words vibrating with heat as I leaned down and
captured her lips again.
This kiss was different. Not gentle, not careful. It was searing, raw, a surge of fire that raced through my blood and pooled low, making my entire body ache for more. Every ounce of me lit up, and yeah, my c**k was painfully on board with the idea. But I meant what I’d told her. I’d never push her, never take more than she was willing to give. So me and my d**k would have to get used to the idea that sometimes a kiss was just a kiss-even if it felt like the earth split beneath our feet.
“Go to bed, gorgeous,” I murmured against her mouth, forcing myself to pull back, though her soft
little whine nearly broke my resolve.
She pressed one last kiss to my lips, quick but full of warmth. “Good night. Sweet dreams.”
I smiled, watching her retreat up the steps of her cabin. I shoved my hands into my pockets, not moving an inch until she glanced back, that sheepish little smile tugging at her mouth and another flush painting her lips. When the door finally closed behind her, I exhaled, the simmering fury and
determination crawling right back into my chest. Because this wasn’t over.
Turning on my heel, I headed straight for Derek’s hut. My steps were fast, sharp, every ounce of me wired with the need to do something. If Bree thought I’d let this go, if she thought I’d just accept the
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fact that her future was slipping away-she didn’t know me at all.
I knocked hard, seeing the glow of light under the door, knowing Derek wasn’t asleep yet. When it opened, he looked at me with one brow raised. “Gage? What the hell are you doing here?”
“I need my phone,” I said, no hesitation in my voice. “Now.”
He didn’t ask questions. He just stepped aside and handed it over, and a moment later, I was scrolling through my contacts, finding the number I needed.
“My favorite nephew,” my uncle’s voice drawled when he picked up, distracted as always. “What do
I owe the pleasure?”
“Does Zuckerberg still owe you a favor?” I asked bluntly, skipping any pretense of small talk. My uncle might’ve asked the question, but he didn’t give a damn about the answer.
“He owes me several,” he said, his tone sharpening, like he’d finally clued into the seriousness of my
call. “And he’ll always owe me. What do you need, Gage?”
“There’s a f*******: group,” I said, venom spitting through my voice as I locked eyes with Derek, who was now smirking like a devil at my side. “I need it gone. Every trace of it deleted.”
My uncle chuckled, the sound laced with arrogance. “Please. As if I need Zuckerberg’s help for that. What’s the name of the group?”
I almost hated saying it. Hated giving the words breath, hated that I had to taste them on my tongue. But I’d do it for Bree. I’d do anything for her.
“Bree Morgan is a slut,” I ground out, my jaw tight, the words burning in my throat.
There was silence, then the sound of furious typing in the background. “It’ll be gone by morning,” my uncle said smoothly. “So, I take it you’ll be bringing this girl home sometime soon?”
My eyes dropped to the floor, the anger still simmering hot and ugly under my skin. “Hopefully.”
“Good. That’s good.” His voice was already drifting, distracted by whatever else demanded his attention. “Let me know if there’s anything else.”
“Actually,” I pressed, my grip tightening on the phone. “Can you trace where the pictures came
from? Find out who owns them?”
A pause. Then the clicking of keys resumed. “I know someone who can. I’ll see what I can do, and I’ll get back to you when I have answers.”
A
Emilia M
“You can call me whatever the f**k you want, gorgeous-just as long as you call me.” – Can we just take a moment to appreciate that line? Because Gage is giving me all of the right vibes
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