Chapter 13

• Belle***
• I can still feel the ghost of his lips on mine—warm, firm, and everything I didn’t know I needed. My heart races as I look at him, the tension between us thick enough to choke me. His eyes... those deep, conflicted eyes that seem to look right through me and see everything I’m too afraid to say. I don’t know why he’s holding back, and it’s driving me insane.
• “Jake,” I whisper, stepping closer to him, my voice trembling with a mix of fear and longing. “Don’t push me away. Please.”