CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

          RIO WATCHED HER WITH FURROWED BROWS AS SHE TURNED BACK TO FACE HIM WITH AN EXASPERATED LOOK ON HER FACE. His name had rolled off her tongue with such ease and he decided that he quite liked to hear it come from her mouth. He ran his tongue over his lower lip and nodded his head slightly.

Her eyes were a bit red and he could see the streaks of her previous tears on the apples of her cheeks, some mascara was smudged underneath her eyes. Lucy must have forgotten to completely wipe it away after she couldn't stop them from falling down her face when Beth and Annie left her apartment.

"Christopher, huh?" he commented, resting his palms on the cold marble of his kitchen island. "Did Tabitha tell you that?"

Lucy rested one of her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him, bemused. The woman was in no mood to argue with him about anything so she turned back around to get her bags. The brunette had barely taken two steps towards the bedroom when his voice cut through the silence. "So, that's it? You're just gonna run?"

Her back stiffened at that and she dug her nails into the palms of her hands. "I'm not running from anything."

Rio kept his eyes on the back of her head as he pushed off the counter and moved her way with slow, deliberate steps. His presence felt like a looming storm, dark and heavy and ready to crash into her.

"Coulda fooled me," he murmured, his voice softer now, but laced with an edge that made her pulse quicken. "Are you sure you're not running, Lucy? It seems like it."

Her breath hitched in her throat as she felt him get closer. She kept her back to him, unwilling to let him see the emotions that danced over her face. Perhaps it was anger, hurt or maybe even fear. Lucy had no idea anymore. Too much had happened in too little time and her mind was reeling with all sorts of thoughts.

"I'm not-" she started, but her voice faltered. A second attempt. "I'm not doing this right now, Rio."

But he was closer now, close enough that she could feel the warmth of his body behind her own, hear the low exhale of his breath just behind her. His next words were a whisper, but they carried the weight of something heavier, something unspoken between them for far too long.

"Yeah, you are. You think you can just walk outta here, pretend like it don't matter? Like I don't matter?" His voice was raw now, almost vulnerable. "For everything I did for you?"

Lucy spun on her heels with a glare on her face as she met his stare. "Don't throw that at me."

"I'm not." he let out a low exhale and clenched his jaw in annoyance. "I didn't mean it like that. Just talk to me."

"Of course you didn't." she scoffed and the look on his face would scare any other person away. "Talk about what, Rio? How you shot Dean because you hate Beth so much? Or how I just lost the only real friends I've ever had because of you?" Her voice rose with each word, the anger bubbling up, uncontainable. "I'm not going to stand here and pretend this isn't fucked up."

He crossed his arms, watching her with that same unreadable expression, like he was weighing every word she said, every move she made. "I did what I had to do. Dean's not innocent in this. You think Beth is? That woman would sell you out in a heartbeat if it meant that she could save her own ass. She's not a good woman, Lucy."

"Maybe," Lucy admitted, her voice had quieted down as if defeated. "But that doesn't make any of this right. That doesn't mean I'm okay with you putting a bullet in him like it's nothing. You think I don't notice what this is doing to me?"

Rio didn't flinch, but his jaw tightened. "This is the life, Lucy. You don't get to pick and choose the parts you like and leave the rest behind. You're either in or you're out."

Lucy shook her head, exasperated. "I never asked for this. I got dragged into it, and now I'm stuck between you and them-and neither side cares what it's doing to me!" Her voice wavered and she took in a sharp breath to steady herself.

"I care," he admitted, glare dispersing as he took a step toward her. "You think I don't care, hmm? Why do you think you've been in my apartment the last couple days? Why do you think I come runnin' when you call?"

"You just don't get it, do you? This - us -" she gestured between them with a shaky hand. "I don't even know what this is, okay? Am I a pity fuck? Am I an easy fuck? What the fuck am I?"

"Stop that." he grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently. "What is this? What have those bitches been puttin' in your head, huh? Beth? Annie? They don't know shit about us, Lucy."

The brunette swallowed hard, her mind racing and she couldn't tear her gaze away from him. He was right and the weight of his words pressed down onto her chest. They didn't know anything about this and they were always quick to show their judgment. Always has been. Lucy was just scared to lose everything, herself, her life and perhaps she was also scared of losing him. Her throat tightened, and for a moment, she thought she might cry, but she blinked it away, refusing to give in.

He repeated, his voice low, as if he were trying to figure it out for himself. "We're somethin', Lucy. You know that. But don't act like I'm just using you, 'cause that ain't what this is."

Lucy felt her chest tighten, a rush of emotions flooding her-relief, fear, confusion. She had always tried to keep a wall between them, never fully trusting him, never letting herself believe there could be anything real in their chaotic relationship. But hearing him say it, seeing the sincerity in his eyes, made her walls start to crumble.

"Then what is it, Rio?" she whispered, her voice laced with uncertainty. "Because I'm tired of feeling like I'm just... part of the game."

Rio's jaw tightened again, and he took a step closer, his hands dropping from her shoulders but still hovering near, like he wasn't ready to let her go. "It's not a game," he said firmly, his eyes locked on hers. "You're not a pawn, Lucy. You're... you're in this with me."

She shook her head, still unsure, still fighting the urge to push him away before he could hurt her. Even after everything he had done for her when she needed him. "I don't know if I can trust that," she admitted, her voice barely audible. "I don't know if I can trust you."

His face softened, a flicker of something like regret crossing his features. "I get it," he said quietly, his tone sincere. "I ain't made it easy for you, I know that. But you've gotta understand, I don't let just anyone in. This life, what I do, it doesn't leave room for mistakes. And I sure as hell wouldn't have let anyone meet my kid like that."

Lucy felt her throat tighten as she tried to process his words. "And now? What, you're just gonna trust me?"

Rio met her gaze, unflinching. "I already do."

The simplicity of his statement caught her off guard. She had expected something more complicated, some catch, but there wasn't one. He meant what he said.

She swallowed, emotions swirling inside her with hope, fear, anger, and something else she couldn't quite name. "And what if I walk away? What if I say I'm done with this?"

Rio didn't hesitate. "Then I'll let you walk. But I don't think you want that, Lucy." His voice softened, and he took a step closer, his eyes dark and intense. "I think you're more afraid of stayin' than you are of leavin'. And that's 'cause you feel it too."

Lucy's breath hitched. The truth in his words hit her harder than she wanted to admit. She did feel something, something deep and undeniable, but it scared her. Being with Rio meant giving up control, stepping into a world she had never wanted, and she wasn't sure she could handle it.

But in that moment, with him standing so close, looking at her like she was the only thing that mattered, she couldn't bring herself to walk away.

"What do you want from me?" she asked softly, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Rio's gaze softened, his hand reaching out to gently cup her face, his thumb brushing against her cheek. "I want you with me," he said quietly. "No more runnin'. No more games. Just you and me."

Lucy let out a shuddering breath as she took in his revelation. His hand was still cradling her face, his thumb tracing soft circles against her cheek and the weight of his gaze made her heart pound into her chest.

She searched his eyes, looking for any hint of the games or the manipulation she had feared, but all she saw was a sincerity that shook her to the core. The walls she had built so carefully were crumbling, and she didn't have the strength to stop it anymore. Not when he was standing this close, not when she could feel the heat of him, smell the faint scent of his cologne, and hear the steady rhythm of his breath.

Her gaze flickered down to his lips, and she felt a surge of something raw and desperate course through her. Without thinking, she closed the distance between them, her lips crashing into his with a force that surprised even her. The familiarity of his lips was welcoming.

He responded instantly, his grip on her face tightening as he pulled her closer, his lips moving against hers with an urgency that matched her own. It wasn't soft or gentle-there was too much between them for that. It was heated, intense. Teeth and all.

Lucy's hands found their way to his chest, gripping the fabric of his button up as she pressed herself against him, needing to feel all of him, needing to know that this was real. His hands slid from her face down to her waist, pulling her even closer, until there was no space left between them. His kiss was possessive, hungry, as if this might be their first kiss even if it was really not.

This time it felt different. More intimate.

He broke the kiss for a brief second, his forehead resting against hers as they both caught their breath. "Lucy," he breathed, his voice rough, filled with something unspoken, something raw and real. But before he could say more, she pulled him back down, her lips finding his again, silencing whatever words might have come next.

This time, the kiss was slower, deeper, the urgency replaced by something more deliberate. His lips moved over hers with a tenderness that made her heart ache, and when his tongue gently grazed hers, a soft gasp escaped her, sending a shiver down her spine.

She didn't know how long they stood there, wrapped up in each other, the world outside forgotten. All she knew was that this-whatever this was-felt safe, and for the first time, she wasn't scared of it. She was just lost in him, in the feel of his hands on her body, the taste of his lips, and the way he made everything else disappear.

"You still have to tell me about Christopher."

Finally managed another chapter while i'm in bed with a high fever. but i just couldn't wait anymore. Hopefully you'll enjoy this and i think they're finally officially together ?????? i'm so happy for them.