His Trouble Maker

Chapter 100

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༨ ཋཱི, 63% –

JESSICA

Grayson is sleeping beside me. He looks so peaceful. I rested my hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat as quickly as my own.

Maybe we’re both pretending to be okay. Maybe that’s enough for tonight.

His fingers twitch where they rest at my hip–instinctive, possessive even in sleep. He stirred, like he felt me watching him. His lashes fluttered, but his eyes didn’t open. Instead, he exhaled quietly and kept his hand firm on my waist.

“What are you thinking?” he murmured, voice rough from sleep.

“Hm?” I let my head rest on his chest, hoping he couldn’t hear how my pulse was going wild. “Nothing.”

A lie because I’m thinking about everything.

His thumb moves, slow drag along my waist, drawing small circles over the fabric of my shirt. It’s nothing. It’s everything. I close my eyes and try to memorize the weight of his hand–because part of me still thinks this won’t last, and I want to keep something when it ends.

“Jessica,” he says again, softer this time, and I don’t know if it’s a question or a reassurance.

I shift slightly, angling my body toward him. “I missed this,” I say, barely a whisper.

His eyes open at that. Dark, heavy with sleep and something else–something older, aching.

“I know,” he says, voice raw. “I’ve missed you too, baby.” Grayson rolls halfway on top of me, pinning my body between the mattress and the full weight

of him. “I’ve missed us.”

I tilt my head just enough for my mouth to graze his jaw. “Do you think…” I start, then pause, wetting my bottom lip with a flick of my tongue. “Do you think after this… everything will go back to normal?”

“There’s no such thing as normal after you,” he says, voice low and rough, like it’s dragging truth straight from his chest.

That makes me bite down on a pout. I turn my face slightly, cheek brushing the pillow. “That sounds like a no.”

“It sounds like I don’t want normal if it means pretending we didn’t happen.”

1 close my eyes for half a second–just to breathe, just to not let everything show on my face. The part of me that wants to believe him, to trust this, to let go of every reason I built for keeping him at arm’s length.

But it’s also the part that’s terrified.

“Since…” My voice is soft, my words catching like thorns in my throat. “Since when did you know I’m your mate, Grayson?”

again like a stone in my palm. Wishing I could forget the question–and

still above

“I want to know”

need to

know about it or

you,” he says

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Chapter 100

at him. His

out of me, cracked and raw. “Why were you such an asshole to

I

now, the silence will eat me

Like I didn’t belong near you. Like I was just some annoying little girl you

once. “You think I wanted to treat you like that?” he says finally. “You think

ever had this conversation between us but then Grayson always lies to me before. He kisses me and

and… good. Too good. You walked into a room and I couldn’t

His voice

I was already

My pulse trips

myself even look at you the way I wanted to…” He shakes his head. “I wouldn’t

My hands

have to torture me, Grayson. You didn’t have

he growls.

“Then why didn’t you?”

he says, eyes blazing. “Even then. I

bond was there all along Then

my lips together and stare up at the ceiling like it

still don’t understand it,” I whisper before i can stop myself.

read me, even with his eyes closed “What

say it now, it’s going to fester. “How can it be you and Riot? How

his face. I

bones Like something alive that’s not mine but still part of

with you?” I’m sorry Grays. “With you 8’s just… silence. Nothing. I keep waiting to feel something when you touch me. A

stabbed him But I

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26 Aug

Chapter 100

“God, I want it to be you. Do

eyes flicker. Pain. Fury. Something