want to give it.”
“Fuck you,” Coralyn hissed. She was wild now, her chest
heaving in and out for air that wasn’t getting in. “You don’t get
to tell me what to do. You don’t even know me. You’re the
worst, Giana Thompson. Just the worst. You haven’t just
treated me badly, I’m sure. You’ve probably treated everyone
badly. You’ve taken things from them that weren’t yours to
take, and you took something so precious from me, and now
you want to take it all. I’m not giving it to you. You don’t get
to own all my secrets. You don’t get to own any of me.”
“I don’t want to own you.” That’s true. “I don’t want to hurt
you.” That’s highly debatable depending on the circumstances.
I want to hurt your body. I want to hurt you so sweetly that it
breaks you wide open because you’ll like it. You’ll like it
because it feels so good. We’re good that way. I know we are.
“I don’t want to hurt you in the ways you don’t want to be
hurt,” Giana amended, though it probably wasn’t wise to say
it.
Heat flared in Coralyn’s eyes, like she knew full well what
Giana was talking about. The air felt charged between them.
Something was going to break. It was either them or the
tension between them. They were either going to splinter apart
or they’d be okay.
“Tell me,” Giana prompted. “Tell me what you need,
Coralyn. Because if it’s me, you have me. I’m here. Let me
have some of that pain. Let me take it for you. You’re not
alone. I’m sorry for who I was in the past, but all I can do is
change for you now. You told me that we’re in love. Let me
figure out what that means. Let me figure it out with you. I
can’t do that if you walk out on me. Even if I deserve it.”