Chapter 128: Forgiveness at Midnight
Aveline's POV
The first thing I noticed wasn't the music or the Christmas lights. It was Kieran Hampton staring at Theo's hand on my shoulder.
The heat of the mansion hit my face, but the air around the kitchen island turned completely freezing. Milo slung an arm over Theo’s shoulder, cracking a loud joke to break the ice. "Mercer! You're just in time for the video game rematch. Landon’s defense is terrible tonight, go save him." Landon quickly grabbed Theo's arm, dragging him toward the game room before anyone could fight.
Katty suddenly appeared from the crowd, trying to slip her hand into Kieran's arm. Kieran completely ignored her. He reached out his hand, wrapping his fingers tightly around my wrist.
"We need to talk," he muttered.
He pulled me past the dancing crowds, straight up the staircase. He pushed open the doors of his private study, pulling me inside and clicking the lock shut. The roaring noise of the party downstairs turned into a distant, muffled hum.
An awkward silence filled the room. I looked at the floor, avoiding his eyes.
"Why did you come here with Theo, Aveline?" Kieran asked, his voice shaking with frustration.
"Milo didn't say i couldn't bring plus " I whispered, I stepped back, my spine hitting the cool leather of his desk. "You shouldn't have dragged me up here. Katty is downstairs."
Kieran raised his left arm, lifting his sleeve. Locked against his skin was the braided leather bracelet. "You bought me this before you decided to break my heart in that alley. Why?"
I froze, my throat burning as the weight of my secret life collapsed. "Because I love you, Kieran! I love you enough to let you hate me! Your future is everything, and my family is a nightmare. If you stay with me, you will lose your entire career for a lie!"
Kieran let out a rough breath, looking down at his boots. "I kissed Katty because I wanted to hurt you," he admitted quietly, his voice full of self-hatred. "I was angry, and I wanted you to feel the pain I was feeling. I am so sorry, Aveline."
He stepped closer, his hands reaching up to gently cup my face. "I don't care about the career if I have to watch you drown. I don't care about the league. I only care about you. I forgive you. I choose you over everything."
The cold wall inside my chest completely shattered. Hearing my real name from his lips felt like the absolute sweetest relief. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulled him down, and our mouths crashed together in a desperate, passionate kiss.
We kissed hard. Our tongues pushed into each other's mouths. I felt his hands on my back, holding me tight. The kiss made me want more. The emotional relief quickly turned into strong sexual desire.
In the dim light of the quiet study, we started taking off our clothes fast. I pulled his coat and shirt off. He pulled my sweater over my head. Then he took off my tight chest binder. My chest was free now. We took off the rest of our winter layers until we were both naked on the floor.
He laid me down on the rug. I opened my legs for him. He got on top of me. His cock was hard and pressed against me. He pushed inside me slowly at first. I felt him stretch me open. It felt good. He started moving his hips, fucking me deeper.
We had sex right there in the quiet study. He thrust in and out faster. Our bodies slapped together. I wrapped my legs around him and held his shoulders. He fucked me hard. I moaned loud every time he pushed deep. His balls hit against me with each thrust.
He grabbed my hips and went even harder. I felt my orgasm building. My body got tight around his cock. Then I came hard, shaking under him. He kept fucking me through it. A few seconds later he pushed all the way in and came inside me. I felt his cock pulse as he filled me with his cum.
We stayed like that for a minute, breathing heavy. Our bodies were sweaty and locked together. The relief and forgiveness felt complete.
Afterwards, we lay together on the leather sofa, wrapped under his thick winter blanket. Kieran held me close, his hand gently smoothing down my short hair.
He looked down at my face, his dark eyes serious. "We are done running, Aveline. I promise you right now, we are going to find out the absolute truth about the betting app and the mystery surrounding Asher’s accident before we graduate. We are going to solve this together. You don't have to carry this alone anymore."
I nodded slowly, pressing my face into the warmth of his shoulder. For the first time in my life, the future didn't feel like a trap.
We quickly fixed our clothes, smoothing down our hair. Suddenly, heavy knuckles banged against the door.
"Kieran!" Milo’s voice shouted from the hallway. "You alive in there?"
I panicked, my heart jumping as Kieran quickly unlocked the door and pulled it open. Milo stood in the corridor, looking between the two of us. He slowly raised one eyebrow, studying our hair and flushed faces.
"Countdown in two minutes," Milo said simply, a small smirk playing on his lips. He didn't ask a single question. He just turned around and walked away toward the stairs.
We followed him down into the crowd. Milo stood on top of a dining chair, waving a bottle of soda as he led the entire house in a roaring holiday countdown.
"Three! Two! One! Merry Christmas!"
Loud cheers erupted through the mansion. Confetti cannons exploded, sending shiny silver strips flying through the air. Landon spotted us walking back into the kitchen, a knowing, relaxed smile appearing on his face as he took a sip of his drink.
Across the crowded room, Katty was standing entirely alone. She stared straight at us, her eyes completely venomous.
I didn't look back at her. In the middle of the dark, cheering crowd, Kieran secretly reached down and squeezed my fingers tightly, locking his hand with mine. We looked out at the falling snow, both of us making a silent Christmas wish for a future that finally felt possible.