Chapter 19: Flying sparks

Riven's POV

For the first time in what felt like forever, I smiled.

It was small and quick, barely there, but it happened. The corner of my mouth lifted before I could stop it. Kathy was still looking up at me with those warm brown eyes, lips slightly swollen from the kiss, cheeks flushed in the moonlight. Something in my chest felt lighter than it had in years.

A strange, unfamiliar warmth spread through me, quieting the usual storm that lived inside my ribs. For once, the weight I carried every day felt just a little easier to bear.

“It’s late,” I said, voice rough but softer than usual. “I should walk you back to your hall.”

She nodded, a shy little smile tugging at her own lips. I turned away for a second, grabbed my discarded shirt from the grass and pulled it over my head. The fabric stuck to my still-damp skin. Then I reached out and took her hand.

The moment our palms touched, heat pulsed between us. It wasn’t just warmth — it was something alive, racing up my arm and straight into my chest. Her fingers curled around mine instinctively, small and soft against my rougher ones.

I could feel her pulse jumping under my thumb. Mine was probably doing the same. That simple contact sent a shiver through me, not cold, but electric. Every nerve in my body seemed to wake up and lean toward her.

We started walking slowly toward Ashveil Hall. The campus paths were quiet now, only a few distant lights glowing. The night air was cool against my heated skin, but the heat from her hand kept spreading through me, traveling up my arm and settling somewhere deep in my chest.

Every step we took together felt different. The usual tension in my shoulders loosened. For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t fighting against something. I was just… walking. With her.

I kept stealing glances at her as we moved. The way her ponytail swayed gently with each step. How the moonlight caught the faint gold tint in her eyes, making them look almost glowing. She kept stealing looks at me too, like she was still surprised I was here, holding her hand instead of walking away.

Every time our eyes met, that pull surged stronger, warm and steady, like it had been waiting for this exact moment.

I wanted to act tough, probably unaffected by what was happening with our hands joined like this but I couldn't.

The silence between us wasn’t awkward. It felt full. Comfortable in a way I didn’t know how to describe. My thumb absently brushed over the back of her hand, and I felt her fingers tighten slightly in response.

That small reaction sent another wave of heat through me. I wanted to say something, but the words kept getting stuck. So I just held her hand a little tighter, letting the silence stretch between us like a fragile bridge I didn’t want to break.

When we reached the front of her dorm, she turned to face me. Her cheeks were pink again, the blush rising beautifully under her skin, spreading all the way to her ears. She looked soft and a little nervous, but her eyes were bright.

“Good night,” she whispered.

I nodded.

I didn’t trust what might come out of my mouth if I tried to speak. So I just stood there for a second longer, memorizing the way she looked right then — flushed, a little shy, but not pulling away. The moonlight made her hair look darker, richer, and I had the sudden urge to reach out and tuck that loose strand behind her ear again. But I held back. Barely.

Then I turned and started walking back toward the suite.

The Riven who walked back was different.

My steps felt lighter. My heart — usually heavy with all the pressure and anger I carried — felt strangely loose. The constant storm in my head had quieted to a low hum.

I kept replaying the kiss in my mind: the way she had gasped against my lips, the soft groan she made when I pulled her closer, how perfectly she had melted into me. For once, pushing her away didn’t feel like the only option. For once, I didn’t want to run.

The walk back felt longer than usual, but not in a bad way. Every step gave me more time to sit with the new feeling blooming in my chest. Relief. Hope. Something warm and terrifying all at once. I could still feel the ghost of her hand in mine, the way her fingers had fit so perfectly. The way her breath had mixed with mine during that kiss. My lips still tingled. My skin still remembered the press of her body against the fence.

By the time I reached the suite and pushed the door open quietly, my mind was calmer than it had been in months. Zayden was probably already in his room, the lights in the living area dim. I didn’t bother turning any on. I headed straight to my room, kicked off my shoes, and flopped down onto my bed without even changing or showering.

I lay there on my back, staring up at the dark ceiling. My fingers absently brushed over my lips. I could still taste her. Still feel the way her body had pressed against mine. The memory sent another warm rush through my chest. My wolf felt strangely settled, like it had finally stopped pacing inside me for the first time in years.

I wondered, for the first time, if I should just stop trying to stay away from her.

Maybe fighting this pull was only making everything worse. Maybe letting myself get closer wouldn’t destroy us both like I’d convinced myself it would. The thought scared me — terrified me, actually — but it also felt… right. Like breathing after holding my breath for too long.

I closed my eyes, her face still clear behind my eyelids, and for the first time in a long time, sleep came easier.

Whatever this was between me and Kathy, it was making me powerless to even stop myself.