Cost of Redemption

He was my forbidden craving. My biggest regret. And now, he's my only weakness. Elio Some mistakes you bury. Others crawl under your skin and never let go. Jaxon Mercer was supposed to be my past. The stolen kiss. The fist that followed. The silence after. But now? He's here—cocky, dangerous, and looking at me like he already knows how this ends. I should shut him out. I should forget the way he used to make me feel. But when he's this close, breathing is hard enough, let alone thinking straight. Enemies. Ex-best friends. Rivals. Obsessions. I don't know what we are anymore. But I know I want him. Jaxon He's scared to want me. I want him desperate. Elio Castelli pretends he has it all under control. I know the desperate way he kissed me two years ago. I know the fear in his eyes when he shoved me away. And now that I'm standing in front of him again, I know one thing for sure—he's still mine, whether he admits it or not. I'm done playing it safe. I'm done waiting. I'll have him. Even if I have to break him first. Contains mature themes.