I'm sinking into the velvety sheets that are my bed, exhausted from the day. So when there's a knock at the front of my chambers, I sigh exasperatedly. Before I even get to step foot out of my bed, the door bursts open, and panic courses through me before I hear the familiar voice.

“I can't—I came to tell you..." Darius pants, his forehead gleaming with a thin sheen of sweat. He leans against the doorframe, every muscle in his body straining against the effort. He runs a hand through his hair, making my legs wobbly for some reason. "I can't do this anymore," he finally whispers

“Do what?" I reply, walking closer. I want to put a hand on his arm, but I can't do that. It would make me feel vulnerable, and I wouldn't betray Nash like that. Would I?

This!" Darius says frustratedly, gesturing to me with his hands. "I can't keep pretending like… like it's easy for me to see you with Nash, when you two start getting all sweet. I'm tired of hiding my feelings, Aella. I honestly don't know how you could be so oblivious for this long!" His voice is hilariously incredulous, although I'm not blind to the pain lurking in his beautiful eyes. “Twelve years. For twelve goddamn years I've been in love with you." A tear falls from his face, and I catch it with the tip of my finger. He stares at my hand and gently grabs it. His warmth destroys my frigidness, and I feel like melting.

“Darius…”

"No, Aella. I get it. I'm sorry, its just.. every minute I spend with you makes up for the

hours upon hours of hell. Every second spent staring at your beautiful face is repayment for the horrors my eyes have seen. Every time I hear your voice, it drowns out the screams that torment me. You have recreated a part of me that I thought died a long time ago. You rekindle the fire inside of me that had burned out. Ever since I first saw you, I knew I just knew. And that... that is why I will fight for you. I will fight until the very last breath has left my body, and even then, I will still fight for you, Aella, because if you're not worth fighting for, then I don't know what is."

There's silence for a few moments as we stare at each other, both with a different kind of longing. | don't know what to do. I know what my heart and my head are battling each other, fighting this painful war inside of me. I stare at the moonlight that is filtering through my curtains, my eyes pooling with tears.

I look at him and take a breath. My head is ready to speak its part. "You know, in a different world, maybe we could have been soulmates, Darius. Maybe we belonged together, in a faraway land that we could both call home. We would have been happy together. So damn happy." When my voice breaks on happy, his whole face shatters, and it's like I've cut him with knives. I take another breath and realize what my heart's trying to tell me. It wants a chance to speak. So I give it what it wants.

"All my life, you were right there." I whisper, pulling Darius closer. He looks at me with hopeful intent, and I grin. "You were right there all along. All this time." I laugh, wrapping my hands around his neck and pressing my forehead against his. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I didn't see you, and I'm sorry I hurt you like that. I'm sorry for a lot of things. But you know what I'm most sorry for? Not doing this sooner."

I smash his lips into mine, and it's an explosion. He's not like Nash, who's calm but firm. He kisses with passion, desire, and lust, and it's incredible. We stumble into the door, slamming it closed and for the first time in a long time, I feel free.