NI

I whispered, "I know everything, Rebel," my voice a perilous whisper. "Everything." Her barriers broke down. Lying was no longer useful. She trembled as she murmured, "I did it for us." With my other hand reaching up to hold her face, I tightened my hold on her wrist. With such tenderness that belied the tempest brewing beneath the surface, my thumb touched her cheek. "You don't think I saw? The late evenings? The looks from afar? With a hint of pain that I hardly ever displayed, my voice grew softer. Rebel, I've allowed you to play your little games. But just because I was curious about how you wanted to pull it off, I let you be. She looked away, but I wouldn't allow her to get away with it. She was forced to look into my eyes as my fingers tipped her chin forward. I lowered my voice to a whisper and declared, "You're mine." "You've been mine forever. If you want the world to burn, tell me. I'd bring Hades to earth if I have to." Her shoulders appeared to soften as the weight of my words seemed to draw her in. I continued, my lips grazing the back of her ear, "You're not leaving me." Not for the world. I couldn't tell if she was shivering because she was afraid or for some other reason. I favoured ignorance. My grip on her, the unadulterated, uncompromising bond that bound us together, was something I enjoyed. "I don't want to leave you," she said, her words falling out of her mouth like a confession. I laughed ominously, the sound resonating between us. Naturally, you don't. Since nobody will ever love you as much as I do. I need you more than anybody else ever will. I released her wrist and grabbed her face with both hands, following the thin line with my thumbs.line of her mouth. "Rebel, you are everything to me. For you, I would set the planet on fire. Are you aware of that? She kept her gaze fixed on her glistening eyes. She made a tiny but determined movement when she nodded. I answered in a quiet but firm voice, "I've built empires." "I've taken over markets and destroyed competitors. But without you, none of it counts. Then, with a forceful, relentless kiss that spoke of possession, desperation, and love so overwhelming it almost bordered on lunacy, my lips took hers. Initially tense, she eventually entwined her hands in my hair and drew me in. She kissed me with the same ferocity and rawness as myself. Our foreheads were close when we split apart, and our breaths mixed in the charge with silence. quiet. I touched her cheek and whispered, "Never let me doubt you again." "If you deceive me once again... The implied threat hung heavily in the air as I trailed of