Chapter 3 I'm scared

Rae's POV

The elevator ride down from Club Obsidian felt like falling through silence.

My legs were shaky-not from anything that had actually happened, but from everything that hadn't.

From the way his voice had wrapped around me like smoke and stayed there, curling in my lungs even after the door clicked shut behind him.

I pulled out my phone with trembling fingers and texted the only person who would understand without judgment.

Me: I'm coming over. Now.

Zara: Door's unlocked. Bring snacks, or I'm disowning you.

Zara sat cross-legged on the floor in front of me, wearing an oversized T-shirt. She looked up, eyes narrowing. "You look like someone just whispered filthy poetry in your ear for an hour and then left you hanging."

I buried my face in a throw pillow. "Pretty much."

"Spill. Every. Detail." She smacked my knee. "And don't skip the parts that make you blush. Those are the best ones."

I peeked over the pillow. "We didn't... do anything."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Nothing?"

"No touching. No kissing after the first one. No clothes came off. He literally just... talked to me."

Zara stopped chewing. "Talked."

"Yeah." I sat up, hugging my knees. "He sat at the foot of the bed. I stayed propped against the pillows. Maybe two meters apart the whole time. And he just... described things. What he'd do. How he'd do it. Slow. Detailed. Like he was reading me a bedtime story except the story was about me coming undone under his hands and mouth and-" I stopped, cheeks burning.

"God, Zara. I've never been so turned on in my life, and he didn't even touch me to an extent."

She let out a long, impressed whistle. "That's next-level control. Most guys would've caved in the first five minutes. He's playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers."

"I know." I dragged my hands down my face. "He kept saying things like, 'I want you to feel the wait,' and 'The buildup is half the fire.'

She grinned wickedly. "Did you get wet just from his voice?"

I groaned and threw the pillow at her. "Yes, okay? Yes. embarrassingly so. And he knew. He could tell. He said something like, 'I can see how much you want it written all over your face.' But he still didn't move closer."

Zara cackled. "This man is dangerous. In the best way." She clutched her chest dramatically. "You're living a dark romance novel. Continue."

I paused, swallowing hard at the memory. "Zara, I've never felt so... seen. Not just wanted. Seen. Like he was paying attention to every little reaction, even from two meters away. No fumbling. No rushing. Just pure, deliberate focus on me."

She tilted her head, softer now. "And how did it end?"

"He stood up. Told me to sleep on it. Said if I came back tomorrow, we'd see how much more I could take. Then he left. Just... walked out. Left me lying there flushed and aching and completely obsessed."

Zara let out a slow breath. "Okay. Wow. So you're going back?"

"I think so." My voice was small. "I mean... I have to, right? After that? I can't just walk away from whatever this is."

"You absolutely cannot." She scooted closer on the floor, resting her chin on my knee. "But listen to me, Rae. This is big. You went from awkward-Caleb disaster to a man who can make you unravel with words alone. That's power. That's control. And he's giving it to you by not taking it yet."

I nodded slowly. "It felt... safe. Even though it was intense. He kept checking in without touching me. Asking if I was still with him. Telling me I could leave anytime. It was like he wanted me to choose this-really choose it."

"Exactly." Zara's eyes sparkled. "That's the difference between a boy and a man. Boys grab. Men wait until you're begging them to take."

I laughed, shaky. "You make it sound so poetic."

I groaned again, flopping back against the couch. "I don't know what to do with myself tonight. I'm still buzzing. Like my skin is humming. Every time I close my eyes, I hear his voice."

Zara smirked. "Good. Let it simmer. Don't touch yourself. Don't relieve the pressure. Let it build. That's what he wants. That's what makes tomorrow-or whenever you go back-explosive."

"You're evil."

"I'm supportive." She tossed a plantain chip at me. "Now tell me more. What did he look like when he was talking? Did his jaw do that clench thing? Did his eyes get darker?"

I closed my eyes, picturing it. "His jaw kept flexing. Like he was holding himself back by sheer willpower. His hands were fisted on his thighs the whole time, knuckles white. And his breathing... it got heavier toward the end. Not obvious, but I noticed. Like, even he was affected."

Zara fanned herself. "Lord. This man is a walking delayed gratification kink."

"Stop." I laughed despite myself. "But yeah. It was mutual. I could tell he wanted to close the distance so badly. But he didn't. He just... endured it. With me."

She reached up and squeezed my hand. "You deserve this, Rae. After all the fumbling and disappointment, you deserve someone who treats your desire like it's sacred. Like it's worth the wait."

Tears pricked unexpectedly. "I didn't realize how much I needed that until tonight."

"I know." Her voice softened. "And tomorrow? Or the next night? Whenever you decide to walk back into that room... You go in knowing exactly what you want. No shame. No second-guessing. You're not Riley Summers, the fake name anymore. You're Rae-the girl who's finally letting herself want something big."

I squeezed her hand back. "What if I'm scared?"