Page 499 - Fourth Wing

It’s not a rejection, not with the way he’s looking at me. We’ve been

sparring emotionally for the past month, hell, even longer than that, and one
of us has to expose our jugular. I finally trust him enough to know he won’t

go for the kill.

“Only if you do. I want to be wherever you are.” And I mean it. Everyone
else—everything else in the world can fall away and I won’t care as long as

I’m with him.

“Violence…”
“I know why you said you don’t see a future for us.” My heart races like

it’s trying to take flight as I blurt out the words.

“Do you?” Of course he isn’t going to make this easy. I’m not sure the
man even knows what easy is.

“You want me,” I say, looking him in the eyes. “And no, I’m not just
talking about in bed. You. Want. Me, Xaden Riorson. You might not say it,

but you do one better and show it. You show it every time you choose to

trust me, every time your eyes linger on mine. You show it with every
sparring lesson you don’t have time for and every flight lesson that pulls

you away from your own studies. You show it when you refuse to touch me
because you’re worried I don’t really want you, then show it again when

you take the time to hunt down violets before a leadership meeting so I

don’t wake up feeling alone. You show it in a million different ways. Please
don’t deny it.”

His jaw flexes, but he doesn’t deny it.

“You think we don’t have a future because you’re scared that I won’t like
who you really are behind all those walls you keep. And I’m scared, too. I

can admit it. You’re graduating. I’m not. You’ll be gone in a matter of

weeks, and we’re probably setting ourselves up for heartbreak. But if we let
fear kill whatever this is between us, then we don’t deserve it.” I lift one

hand to the back of his neck. “I told you that I was the one who would
decide when I’m ready to risk my heart, and I’m saying it.”