The Edge of the Abyss
Rory’s POV
Julian kissed me like he was claiming something—like he was warning me, promising me, and unraveling all at once.
I felt his desperation in the way his hands tightened around me, in the way his lips moved over mine as if he was drowning and I was his last breath of air.
And maybe… I was.
But then, just as suddenly as he had pulled me in, he tore himself away.
I gasped, my heart racing as Julian stepped back, his breathing ragged, his hands clenched into fists as if he was trying to regain control.
“This can’t happen,” he muttered, voice thick with restraint. “Not now. Not like this.”
His rejection stung, but I refused to let him push me away—not when I had just glimpsed the man beneath the carefully controlled mask.
“Julian—”
“No.” He turned away,
