For a long moment after the kiss, Lily couldn't move.
Her hands were still lightly gripping the front of Jacob's shirt. His arms were still wrapped around her waist. Their breaths mingled in the quiet room, warm and uneven.
Jacob didn't speak. He just watched her, eyes steady, waiting for her to process what just happened.
Lily's heartbeat thundered in her ears.
Okay. Okay. Breathe. This is fine. Nothing happened. It was just a kiss. A… devastating… heart-melting… professionally lethal kiss.
Jacob's eyebrow lifted faintly.
"I need you to understand something, Lily."
She swallowed. "What?"
He didn't hesitate.
"I'm not letting you run from what's between us anymore."
Her breath caught.
Jacob's voice dropped, lower, rougher. "Not after this. Not after you kissed me back."
"W–What? I didn't—!"
"You did."
He didn't say it arrogantly. He said it like a fact, like breathing.
"You pulled me closer," he continued. "You held onto me. You didn't think about stopping once."
