Chapter 14 The Fragile Edge

• Noah woke up the next morning with a heavy, persistent ache in his chest. His mind was a mess, tangled in the aftermath of what had happened the night before. Elias. He couldn’t escape him, no matter how hard he tried. The kiss had consumed him. He could still feel the warmth of Elias’s lips on his, still feel the crushing weight of his hands, of the power that Elias wielded over him like a weapon.
• The storm inside him hadn’t passed. In fact, it had only grown more intense, more suffocating. His thoughts were clouded, his emotions a jumbled mess. He didn’t want this. He couldn’t want this. But his body betrayed him every time Elias was near, every time their eyes met, every time Elias whispered in that low, dangerous voice of his.
• He hadn’t gone back to his apartment after that night. He couldn’t. The thought of being alone, of being away from Elias, terrified him. So, he stayed in a small hotel on the edge of town, somewhere far enough from Elias’s reach but close enough that he could still feel the pull. It wasn’t the most comfortable, but it was enough to give him space to breathe, or at least, that’s what he had hoped.
• But now, as he sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the darkened hotel room, Noah realized that it wasn’t space he needed. It was freedom. Freedom from Elias. From the grip Elias had on him, both physical and emotional. He needed to break free before he lost everything. Before Elias completely consumed him.
• He stood up abruptly, his legs unsteady beneath him. The world felt out of focus, like everything was happening in slow motion. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears, feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins. His hands were shaking as he grabbed his phone from the nightstand. He didn’t know who he was trying to fool. He didn’t know who he was trying to reach out to, but he dialed anyway, hoping someone would answer.
• The phone rang, and Noah’s chest tightened with every passing second. He didn’t even know why he had called, why he had reached for someone who couldn’t help him. All he knew was that he needed something—someone—to pull him away from the chaos that was Elias.
• But as the call ended, unanswered, Noah was left alone again. The emptiness settled over him like a thick, suffocating fog. His phone buzzed in his hand. A text message from an unknown number.
• “Where are you, Noah? Don’t try to hide from me.”
• The message sent a chill down his spine. Elias.
• He wanted to ignore it. Wanted to shut the phone off and pretend like nothing was happening. But that would be a lie. Elias was never far away. It didn’t matter how far he ran, how many walls he built around himself. Elias would always find him. Elias would always get to him.
• Noah’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, debating whether or not to respond. He didn’t want to. He didn’t want to give Elias the satisfaction of knowing that he had power over him. But the truth was, he was already trapped, already ensnared in Elias’s web. Every part of him screamed to break free, but another part of him longed for the comfort Elias offered. The darkness, the intensity, the feeling of being wanted, of being claimed.
• He swallowed hard, his throat tight as he typed a response.
• “I’m not running. But I need space. I need time.”
• The response came quickly.
• “You think you can walk away from me? You think you can just escape this? You’re mine, Noah. And I’m not letting you go.”
• Noah’s heart raced as he read the message, the force of it hitting him like a physical blow. His breath caught in his throat. There was no escape. Elias had already made it clear—there was no freedom from him, no way out.
• He slammed the phone down on the bed, his hands trembling. His chest felt tight, like something was suffocating him from the inside. He needed to get out, to clear his head, but the weight of Elias’s words, of Elias’s presence, was too much.
• A knock at the door.
• Noah froze, his heart leaping in his chest. His mind screamed at him to run, to hide, but his legs felt like lead. The knock came again, more insistent this time.
• Without thinking, he stood and moved toward the door, his breath shallow. He reached for the handle, his fingers cold as he turned it. When the door swung open, there stood Elias, looking every bit as imposing and beautiful as ever.
• “You didn’t think you could run from me, did you?” Elias’s voice was calm, almost too calm, as though he had known all along that Noah wouldn’t stay away for long. His gaze pierced through Noah like a weapon, intense and unrelenting.
• Noah tried to speak, but no words came out. His throat was dry, his mind in turmoil. He wanted to fight, to push Elias away, but something inside him held him back. Something deep down told him that Elias had already won, that he had already taken control.
• Elias stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, his presence flooding the small room. He didn’t need permission. He never did. The door clicked shut behind him, sealing them in the quiet darkness.
• “I told you, you belong to me,” Elias said softly, his voice thick with an undeniable authority. His eyes darkened, and Noah could feel the weight of his gaze like a physical force. “You can try to fight it, but we both know you don’t want to. You want me, Noah. And the sooner you accept it, the easier this will be for you.”
• Noah backed away, his breath coming in shallow gasps. “I don’t... I don’t want this.” The words were weak, and he knew they sounded like a lie.
• Elias took a step closer, his hand reaching out to grip Noah’s arm. The touch was firm, possessive. His fingers dug into Noah’s skin, sending a jolt of electricity through his body.
• “You say that, but your body betrays you. You can’t resist me, Noah. And you never will.”
• Noah opened his mouth to argue, but the words stuck in his throat. Elias was right. He couldn’t resist. The longer he fought, the harder it became to breathe, to think, to exist without Elias’s presence consuming him.
• Elias’s lips curved into a slow smile, a dangerous smile that sent a shiver down Noah’s spine. “You’ve crossed the line, Noah. There’s no going back now.”
• Noah’s heart raced, his thoughts spiraling out of control. He didn’t know how to escape, didn’t know how to fight against the pull that Elias had on him. All he knew was that he was already too far gone.
• And as Elias’s hand slid down his chest, Noah realized, with a sickening certainty, that he had already given himself to the darkness.
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