CHAPTER NINETY-TWO

The night stretches endlessly before me, every minute an eternity of restless tossing and turning. No matter how I try, I can't escape the thoughts that plague me, the memories that claw at my mind with razor-sharp talons.

Him. It always comes back to him.

His scent, rich and earthy, surrounded me. The warmth of his lips trailing over my skin, raising gooseflesh in their wake. The iron bands of his arms pulling me flush against the hard planes of his body. The way his brow furrowed in that adorable frown whenever I tried to defend my books. 

The rugged beauty of his face that still haunts my dreams.

With a strangled cry, I fling off the sweat-damp sheets and stumble outside, desperate for air, for space. I break into a run, pushing my body until my lungs burn and my muscles scream in protest. But it's not enough. Nothing is enough to outrun the ache in my soul.

A ragged scream tears from my throat as I throw my head back to the uncaring stars.