I'm Coming

I'm Coming
LIORA’S POV

I sniffled and roughly wiped the tears from my face.

The door slammed heavily behind me, followed by hurried footsteps. I didn’t need to look back to know Azrael was running after me.

“Liora, please wait!” he shouted.

I ignored him, my legs moving quickly as I rushed down the stairs toward the room where I had once caught him doing something unforgivable. I reached for the door, but Joel appeared out of nowhere and blocked my path.

“Are you in on this too?” I gritted out, clenching my fists at my sides.

Joel looked down at me, his hands held stiffly in front of him. For some reason, he refused to answer.

Impatient, I stomped my foot.

“Step aside, Joel!”

“No,” he said firmly.

I grabbed his shirt and tried to yank him away from the door, but he barely moved.

“Joel! Why are you doing this?” I cried. “He killed Jaycee! Please! You can’t do this to Mara!”

Tears streamed down my cheeks, blurring my vision, but I still caught the slight arch of Joel’s brows just as Azrael finally caught up to us.

“Liora, enough!” Azrael thundered, wrapping his arms around my waist. “I didn’t—”

I slammed my elbow into his face.

“Ugh—fuck!” he cursed, releasing me.

I stumbled to the floor, then scrambled back up and lunged at Joel, ready to hit him with all the strength I had. His expression hardened.

Before I could reach him, Azrael grabbed my waist again and lifted me off the ground.

“No! Let me go! Azreal!”

“Joel, lock the door!” he barked.

Joel nodded and locked the door, removing the key.

I thrashed violently, jerking backward so hard that the back of my head slammed into Azreal’s face.

Pain exploded through my skull.

His grip tightened.

Realizing all my struggling was useless, I finally went limp and let him carry me.

He carried me up the stairs, then shifted me into a bridal carry. Minutes later, we were inside my room.

He placed me gently on the bed, the softness of the mattress sinking beneath me.

Then he stepped backward toward the door.

I watched as his hand searched for the key. Once he found it, he locked the door and tossed the key onto the floor.

I turned away from him, presenting my back as fresh tears spilled down my face.

My body trembled violently.

“Liora.”

He said my name quietly, and for the first time in my life, I hated that he could speak.

“You killed him even after I begged you not to, Azreal,” I said, my voice breaking as I covered my face. “He died because of me. Where did everything go wrong? I… I’m so confused.”

The rustle of sheets reached my ears.

A moment later, the mattress dipped behind me.

His scent surrounded me, and despite everything, my body still reacted to his presence.

“Liora,” he called again, this time much softer.

I was too tired to think.

Too tired to fight.

I wanted everything to end.

I couldn’t keep doing this.

“I didn’t kill Jaycee,” he whispered.

His hand gently rested on my waist, and I stiffened.

My eyes flew open.

I turned to look at him.

He lay beside me, his gaze fixed on mine.

“You didn’t let me finish,” he said quietly. “I would never kill anyone, Liora. I already promised you I would never become that person again.”

“Azreal.”

I shot upright, my heart pounding violently against my chest.

Without thinking, I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him so tightly we both fell backward onto the bed.

“T-thank you,” I whispered shakily. “That… that was all I needed to hear.”

He was alive.

Jaycee was alive.

Relief crashed over me so hard it nearly hurt.

I buried my face in Azreal’s neck and gripped his hair tightly.

His arms wrapped around my waist, holding me just as tightly.

When I finally pulled back, I looked into his eyes.

“Don’t cry, Liora,” he murmured, his voice rough and raspy. “I’m not a man worthy of your tears.”

He gave me a bitter smile and brushed away the tears on my cheeks.

I shook my head, biting my lip.

“Don’t say that,” I whispered through trembling breaths.

I leaned down and kissed him.

At first, he didn’t move.

So I kissed him again, slower this time, pouring every emotion into it—relief, love, guilt, desperation.

I wanted him to understand.

He was worth everything to me.

I loved him.

I loved him so much.

It was his actions—his terrible choices—that kept causing misunderstandings between us, but that didn’t change what I felt.

I pulled back and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

“I was only angry because I thought you killed him,” I said softly. “But I understand why you were furious. Jaycee isn’t innocent either.”

A small smile appeared on his face.

It was the first genuine smile I had seen from him today.

He looked painfully handsome when he smiled.

“I’m worried about Mara,” I admitted. “How she’ll feel when she finds out what I did—”

He pressed a finger to my lips, stopping me. Then his hand slid to my jaw, gently guiding me closer until barely an inch remained between us.

“You did nothing wrong,” he murmured.

His warm breath fanned across my face.

“Stop blaming yourself. I’ll speak to Mara and take all the blame.”

I gave a small nod. “Okay.”

Then I paused, my gaze lingering on his face.

His brows lifted.

“Aren’t you going to kiss me?” I asked softly.

A deep chuckle escaped him.

“Oh, woman.”

He rolled over, taking me with him until my back pressed into the mattress.

His long hair fell around his face as he leaned down, his hand sliding over my thigh.

He kissed my neck.

My back arched as a shiver ran through me.

He kissed my jaw.

Then my lips.

His fingers tightened around my thigh.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, matching his pace.

Then suddenly—

Bzzz.

The vibration of my phone snapped me out of the moment.

I reached blindly across the bed until my fingers found it.

I looked at the screen then I froze.

It was a message from Mara.

\[Li, Jaycee is at my house and… he’s acting strange. He wants to break up with me.\]

I reread the message.

Slowly, I lifted my eyes to Azreal.

“I told Joel to take him back,” he said, answering the question before I could ask it.

I quickly typed a reply.

\[I’m coming.\]