Chapter 115: Just Kiss Me

Kayden’s POV

“My suspension is lifted?” I asked into the phone, my brows pulling together in confusion as I paced slowly across my room. “Did my mom tell you to do that?”

There was a brief pause on the other end before my coach chuckled. “No, son. Not your mom.”

I stilled. “Then…why did you do it?”

“Well, Mr. Bennett’s newly found daughter made sure of it.”

My chest thumped so hard it almost hurt. Alyssa.

My coach continued, completely unaware of the storm he had just triggered inside me. “She came personally. Said she was ready to transfer schools if that meant your suspension would be lifted. Claimed she played a part in what kept you from that last game and wanted to make it right.”

My grip tightened around the phone.

“She really…fought for you,” he added. “She wouldn’t let me breath until I agreed to lift it. And I’ve spoken to other officials. They all agreed to welcome you back soon.

Then his voice went low. “The whole team missed you as well.”

The call ended shortly after, but I remained standing there, the phone still pressed to my ear long after the line had gone dead.

I didn’t know what to think about.

I just stood there, stunned.

She went that far…for me?

I dragged a hand down my face and exhaled sharply, trying to steady the chaos building inside my chest.

Everything had already been too much.

My mother’s sudden reappearance. My father’s distance. Finding out Alyssa and Louisa were twins. Killian and Elena’s betrayal. Miranda poisoning my father. Ryan being behind it all.

It felt like my life had been ripped apart piece by piece, leaving nothing steady behind.

And that was why I had decided to leave.

To walk away from everything before it swallowed me whole.

I had convinced myself it was the right thing.

Because staying meant facing Alyssa.

And facing her meant wanting her. Craving her. Needing her in ways I wasn’t sure I could control anymore.

But I couldn’t be the reason she and Louisa would drift apart.

Even before she knew Louisa was her sister, Alyssa had chosen her. Had buried her own feelings just to protect her friend.

That was who she was. Too selfless for her own good.

And I refused to be the thing that ruined that bond.

Why would she go to coach on my behalf?

She fought for me.

“Fuck…” I muttered under my breath, dragging my hand through my hair.

This just made it harder.

So much harder. To leave.

I had already blocked and deleted her number. Not because I didn’t want her, but because I wanted her too much.

If I hadn’t done that, I would have called her. I knew I would have.

And now I just felt…empty.

Like something essential was missing in my life.

I inhaled deeply.

I needed to leave tonight.

Before I lost whatever control I had left and go to find her.

I turned toward my suitcase which was already half-packed on the bed. If I stayed any further, I would think. And thinking meant I might decide to stay back. I wouldn’t.

A knock sounded on my door.

I frowned.

I wasn’t expecting anyone.

The knock came again, louder this time.

I walked toward the door cautiously and leaned slightly to look through the peephole.

Had she ran through my head so many times that I was now seeing her everywhere? Or is that really Alyssa behind my door?

My heart slammed violently.

Without thinking, I unlocked the door and pulled it open.

She stood there, breathing heavily, her eyes red and glassy with tears, strands of her hair clinging to her damp face like she had rushed all the way here without stopping.

“I…” she struggled to catch her breath. “I thought you would have left.” How did she know I was leaving?

Before I could say anything, she pushed against my chest.

“Why were you leaving?” she demanded, her voice breaking. “Do you know how worried I’ve been?”

I barely felt the force of her push.

All I could feel…was her.

All I wanted…was her.

Every instinct in me screamed to pull her in, to pin her against the wall, to kiss her until she forgot every reason she had to be angry.

But I held myself back.

Barely.

~

Alyssa’s POV

He was still here.

Still here.

Relief and anger collided inside me so violently I didn’t know which one to hold onto.

I had called him countless times. His number wouldn’t go through. Each failed call had tightened something around my chest until I couldn’t breathe properly anymore.

The thought of him leaving without saying anything…

Without letting me see him one last time…

It wrecked me.

And now he was standing right in front of me, just staring, saying nothing.

“Say something,” I urged, my voice shaking despite my effort to stay steady.

He exhaled slowly, his gaze dropping for a moment before returning to mine. “I thought it was the best thing to do.”

I let out a short, disbelieving laugh. “The best thing to do?”

I pushed his chest again. “Like you thought the best thing to do was to go behind my back and get me justice?”

His jaw tightened. “I didn’t tell you to go to my coach either.”

“Hell, you didn’t,” I snapped, pushing him again.

This time, he caught my wrists in his hold. Firmly.

“Why are you really angry?” he asked, his voice low.

I stilled and scrambled my head for an actual reason.

Because the truth was…

I wasn’t just angry.

I was scared.

I lifted my gaze to his, and the moment I met those oceanic blue eyes, everything inside me softened and shattered at the same time.

“Were you really going to leave me?” I asked quietly.

His grip on my hands tightened slightly. “Wouldn’t you have preferred that?”

I shook my head immediately. “No.” My voice broke.

“I would have been damned.”

His expression shifted, like he was fighting an emotion.

“I thought about everything,” I continued, my voice trembling but steady enough to say my mind. “And I realized nothing…nothing is worth losing what we have, Kayden. I…I don’t want to lose you.” That was it.

Right there. I said it.

His gaze faltered, then dropped to our joined hands.

Slowly, he lifted one of them and placed it against his chest.

His heartbeat slammed against my palm. It was fast and hard, almost unsteady.

“Can you hear it? That’s what you’re doing to me,” he said quietly.

My own heart responded instantly, racing just as wildly.

The space between us thickened, heavy with pent up emotions and threatening to strike.

I swallowed.

And then, barely above a whisper, I said, “Just kiss me…please.” Because that was all I wanted, needed at that moment.

His jaw clenched hard.

For a split second, I thought he might resist.

That he might pull away.

But then—He snapped.

Kayden’s hand came up to my neck, pulling me toward him as his lips crashed against mine in a rough, desperate kiss that stole the air right out of my lungs.

It wasn’t gentle.

It was everything we had been holding back.

Frustration. Fear. Longing. Need.

I gasped softly against his lips, but he only deepened the kiss, one hand tightening in my hair as if he was afraid I might disappear if he let go.

I didn’t hold back. I kissed him back just as fiercely.