Crash and Burn (1)

that will get you killed

**It happened. We hit 1k. ☺️ There are no words. Thank you for reading and sharing and commenting and voting. I hope you all love these two as much as I do. And I hope that you guys will be just as excited to read this part as I was to write it.

This one is for all of you that ship these two ❤️

♚ ♛

A GUST OF COLD AIR pushed me through the open doorway. "Soren?"

I tucked the blonde hair back into my hood and glanced around the small, dark portable. The faint glow from a doorway to my left revealed the nearly empty interior. It was dry and cozy; only occupied by a grey couch flush to the wall and a full, wooden desk.

"Close the door, Lacey." His voice came from the next room, husky and low with a warning. "Now."

I turned to shut the door, listening to his soft footsteps echo through the silent space. They closed in on me, slowing in time with my heartbeat—until they stopped directly behind me.

"Lacey."

It drew me in like a deadly trap. Inch by inch, I surrendered, spinning to face him.

Silhouetted in the blue glow from a small, square window behind him, Soren leaned back against the desk and crossed his arms over his chest. "It took you a long time."

Like a parent or a lover or a friend, his tone held a trace of expectancy. But Soren was none of those things, so I didn't bother to answer him.

I fiddled with the sleeves of my sweatshirt, yanking the heavy material from my damp skin. The sky darkened outside, and as I turned to place the sweatshirt on a small hook beside the door, I searched the wall for a light switch.

Warm fingers caught my forearm. My breathing hitched as Soren reeled me into his chest. Firm and wet, the contact sent a shiver down my spine. Why did he feel so good?

His breath felt hot along my neck. "Having second thoughts, princess?"

My pulse spiked. Fuck him. Fuck that nickname.

Breathe.

Anger rushed through my body so abruptly that I whirled around, meeting his gaze defiantly. "No."

My voice cracked, and it threatened everything that I kept behind clenched teeth. Soren would know I was lying. Even in the dim lighting, I could clearly find the corners of his lips, tilting up into a taunting smirk.

I shoved him away from me forcefully, clipping his shoulder as I tried to pass him. I didn't need his stealthy smiles and his lethal looks to point out what I already knew.

I was so fucking scared.

Soren spun on his heels, his hands on my shoulders to still me. Grinding my teeth, I met his prying eyes. Exposed in muted light, they lingered on my face, searching for something—an answer, a secret, a story.

Trapped. I felt trapped.

Anxiety rolled through me with the way he managed to keep me frozen in place with one piercing look. Soren Calloway could not do this to me.

I shoved him again. "I'm not having second thoughts."

This time, Soren stumbled back, but he managed to wrap his arms around my waist for balance. With a thump, we hit the wall behind him.

"Sure seems like it," he snorted dismissively. "What? You miss him already?"

All I saw was red.