Page 98 of Face Off

“I’ll be devastated. I’m already desperate enough to use an ass he’s apparently obsessed with as a strategic resource.”

Aura nodded solemnly. “It would be irresponsible not to utilize your strongest asset.”

Bliss slapped her leg. “This is serious.”

“My ass is serious.”

“It left an impression on Ryan,” Aura said.

“Possibly several,” I admitted.

Bliss covered her face before laughter escaped between her fingers. The moment loosened some of the tension, but the worry remained inside her eyes when she lowered her hands.

“You truly believe you can let him go after this?”

“No.” I refused to give them a lie simply because it sounded healthier. “I believe I can survive it if he goes. That’s different.”

Aura’s expression softened.

“I won’t turn his rejection into proof that I’m unlovable. I won’t stop eating, destroy my business, or become whatever version of myself I think might convince him to reconsider. I love the woman I am now. I’m not sacrificing her to earn Ryan.”

“That matters,” Bliss said.

“It does. It also means I can fight for him without losing myself inside the outcome.” I met their eyes. “I can tell him what I want, show him who I am, and let him decide whether he believes me. I couldn’t do that before because every possibility of rejection felt fatal. It isn’t fatal now. It will hurt like hell, but I know how to survive pain without turning it against myself.”

Aura squeezed my hand. “That part sounds sane.”

“Thank you.”

“The rest remains under review.”

“I’ll accept a conditional approval.”

Bliss leaned against the headboard. “I’m still worried about Ryan.”

“So am I.”

“If he’s doing this because pain and exhaustion have convinced him that hurting himself one more time will somehow finish the process—”

“I’ll see it.”

“Will you?” Aura asked. “You want him back. That makes you extremely capable of interpreting every erection as emotional progress.”

“I’m not confusing his body with forgiveness.”

“You had sex with him less than an hour ago.”

“And I know he still doesn’t trust me.” I looked toward the dress Bliss had placed over the chair. “He didn’t hide that. He was brutally clear about what tonight meant to him.”

“What did it mean to you?” Bliss asked.

“Everything.”

The answer entered the room without shame.

Aura waited.

“It meant I could stand naked in front of Ryan without needing him to convince me I was beautiful. It meant he could be angry and intense without me hearing danger where there wasn’t any. It meant I wanted him without using sex to ask whether I was enough.” My throat tightened. “It meant he gave me the version of himself he spent our entire relationship holding back because he thought I was too fragile to handle him.”