His arms tightened around me as if I were the only thing anchoring him to this moment.
“Always,” he whispered, his voice thick with conviction, the faint tremor revealing just how deeply he meant it.
“I’m yours. Always.”
For a moment, I let the weight of his words settle in the air, watching the way his eyes searched mine, desperate for validation. The vulnerability in his expression was staggering, and it sent a thrill coursing through me—a heady mixture of power and something I couldn’t yet name. Was it guilt? No, guilt would require regret, and I wasn’t there. Not yet.
Slowly, I reached up, my fingertips brushing along his jawline, tracing the sharp edges of his face as though I were memorizing him.
“Rafael,” I said his name like a secret, each syllable laced with an intimacy th
