Chapter 5 I Never Said I Was Doing It For Free

• The car ride was quiet except for the sound of the rain calming down against the window. Seraphina leaned her head against the window, her damp hair sticking to her cheek. Her eyes were swollen from crying, her makeup washed away, and yet Nicholas couldn’t stop staring at her. She looked beautiful even in ruin.
• It reminded him of that night. The way she clung to him, her voice breaking as she begged him not to leave her. She had been soft, desperate, trembling in his arms. He could still hear her breathless pleas and still feel the way she pressed against him. She probably didn’t even remember it now, but he did. He never forgot.
• His hands tightened on the wheel. You were mine first, Seraphina. And whether you know it or not, you still are.