After some time spent contemplating how to tell Reign about Stormy, I carefully sit up, wrapping his black, silky sheet around my naked body for warmth. With slow movements, I rise from the bed, hoping not to wake him up. As I make my way toward the balcony doors, I retrieve my bag, trying not to make a sound and with a gentle push, I slide the door open and step out onto the large balcony.
The early morning summer air kisses my skin, its gentle touch refreshing. I inhale deeply before retrieving a cigarette from my bag and placing it between my lips. Lighting the end, I watch the flame flicker before settling into a steady burn before I place my bag on a small table.
I lean on the railing, resting my forearms upon it as I scan the horizon, noticing the peachy hues that color the sky, casting a warm light over the towering buildings, while stars twinkle against the impending dawn. As my hair dances in the breeze, I lose myself in the distant sounds of the waking city below.
I stand there, lost in the beauty for some time until I suddenly feel his presence behind me. He wraps his large arms around my midsection, pulling me close, and I lean into his warmth with a soft smile. His chin rests on my shoulder, his voice husky from just waking up, as he speaks into my ear.
“You’re far too pretty to be smoking.”
I roll my eyes with a grin before flicking the cigarette away and watching it fall below. I wrap my arms around his, feeling his raised hairs beneath my touch as I run my hand along his tattooed forearm. His grip tightens around me, and together we gaze out at the breathtaking view in front of us.
“What are you thinking about?”
As I feel his deep voice vibrate against my back, I sigh softly, considering his question carefully before I respond.
“About this city. About us. About the future.”
He remains silent for a moment, then gently presses his bearded cheek against mine.
“Let me make it easier for you. Look around.”
I pause to take in my surroundings, absorbing every detail, until he turns his head and observes my side profile.
“It’s yours. All of it. This city. Me. The future.”
My eyes mist with tears from his words as he continues.
“All you have to do is take it by the balls, crush it, shape it, and do whatever the fuck you want with it.”
He releases me when I stay quiet, and I turn to face him. He places his hands on the rail behind me, leaning down to my eye level.
“No longer will you be defeated. No longer will you allow people to walk all fucking over you. No longer will you be bound to the past, Charley.”
I lift my chin, his words resonating deeply as a tear trails down my cheek and he wipes it away with his thumb, his touch comforting yet firm.
“I promise with every inch of me, this city will crumble to the fucking ground before I allow anyone to hurt you again. I will spend my entire existence beside you, protecting you, loving you, just as you have always deserved. I will shield you from any darkness that attempts to come your way.”
My glassy eyes search his and I whisper.
“What if there are two of us to love?”
His brows pinch, eyes full of confusion. I wipe my wet cheeks with my palms before straightening up, gathering my confidence before I continue.
“I need to show you something.”
As I lean down, he stands upright, and I reach for my bag. Keeping eye contact with him, I know his reaction will tell me everything I need to know. I pull out my phone before setting my bag down again.
My gaze shifts to the screen as it lights up, and a soft smile forms on my lips when I see her cute little face. When I glance at him, his eyes widen as if he already knows, and I swallow hard as I extend my phone towards him.
He gently accepts the phone from my hand, and eventually his eyes lower to the screen. I watch for his reaction, but he remains silent until his hand covers his mouth, and he turns away. Feeling a rush of nerves, I follow him into the bedroom, where he sits on the edge of the bed, his eyes stuck on the screen. I stop in my tracks, waiting anxiously for his response and after what feels like an eternity, my heart pounding in my chest, he looks up, our eyes meeting.
“She’s yours?”
My gaze is brimming with tears as I offer a small, wordless nod and he stares into my eyes briefly before his attention returns to the phone screen.
“Is she Mad—”
“No.”