Because mine are. God, they are. And I need to hear her say it.
“I only want you,” she whimpers. “Only you… don’t stop, Dylan. Harder. Fuc—”
I tug on her tight nipples, watching her body unravel beneath me.
“Yes, take it for me. Say it louder.” I groan, getting lost inside her. “Melt around my hard cock.”
I flip her over and grip her waist as she straddles me, riding me wild and unfiltered. “You belong on me.” My voice is low, possessive.
She moves faster, harder, giving me everything. “Oh God, Dylan… right there.” She gasps, clutching the headboard. “You feel so fucking good.”
I thrust up, dragging her down, hitting that spot that drives her crazy. “That’s it. Come for me. Right. Now.”
“I need you,” she pleads. “I need all of you.”
She clenches around me so hard it steals my breath. And watching her fall apart, knowing I’m the one wrecking her, undoes the last of my control.
I can’t stop now. Not when she’s holding on to me like I’m her whole damn world. Not when this isn’t just sex.
It’s everything.
“I… love…you, Jenna.” The words tear out of me—raw, real, and unstoppable.
Three little words crash between us like a wave I can’t outrun. And maybe the timing’s fucked and I shouldn’t have said it. But I won’t take them back.
“Come with me.” My voice is ragged.
She grinds harder, faster, chasing that high. Until we shatter together. The need. The months of wanting. The goddamn truth. All of it explodes at once.
Then she lets out a breathless laugh that’s pure heaven.
Then silence. No words. But she doesn’t need to say anything. The way she looks at me says everything.
She tugs the blanket over us, resting on my chest. I hold her close and kiss her neck, letting my lips linger. “I love you,” I say again, softer now, like a confession I’ve held onto far too long. “You don’t have to say it back.” I tilt her chin up and meet her eyes. “But I need you to know… I didn’t just fall, I dove. The moment I let you in, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving you.”
The way she glances up at me says more than words ever could.
I trace my fingers along the tattoo inked beneath her breast. Doves breaking free from a cage. Their wings are stretched wide, and a single feather on fire drifts below. It’s haunting… and beautiful.
“Ready to tell me the story behind this?” I ask gently, my voice low. “I want to know everything, Jenna. Every piece of you.”
“Dylan—” She looks away, taking in a shaky breath. “Just don’t look at me differently.”
“Hey.” I hold her face, guiding her eyes back to mine. “Nothing you say will change how I see you. To me, you’re perfect. Every part of you. Got it?”
I stay silent, giving her space to explain.
“These birds…” she murmurs. “They remind me of the day I finally broke free from my abusive ex. The day I chose to stop being his prisoner. And this…” Her hand brushes over the burning feather across her ribs. “This is for the part of me I lost in the process.” Her voice is soft, yet heavy. “Sometimes, I feel like this bird. I have wings. I know how to fly. But the weight of the cage I carry pulls me down.”
My heart clenches. “You don’t have to carry it alone,” I say, gently holding her.
“But the nightmares…” She trails off, her arms tightening around me.
“What about them?” I ask softly, pulling her closer.
Her gaze meets mine. “They started the same night I got this tattoo. And they haven’t stopped. It’s like they’re keeping me stuck in the past.” She draws in a shaky breath. “I know the brain sometimes buries trauma to protect us. But maybe it doesn’t stay buried forever. Maybe it creeps back in, piece by piece, filling in the cracks in your mind. And these nightmares are fragments of my memories. Like my mind’s trying to make sense of something too painful to process.”
Her voice falters. “And I think… Jacob knows something about them.”
