It stripped her bare in a way far worse than standing in just her bra and biker shorts ever could. His eyes held her captive, peeling back every layer of defiance and fear until only the raw truth remained: she had crossed a line she had sworn she never would.
"You didn't hesitate," Santiago said quietly, his gaze unwavering. "Not even for a second."
Her fingers, still resting on his shoulders, tightened slightly against the fabric of his shirt.
"I....." she started, but the words didn't come.
Because he was right.
She hadn't hesitated.
Not when she climbed onto him.
Not when she kissed him.
Not when she tried to convince him, convince herself, that it was something else.
Her stomach twisted violently.
That wasn't her.
Or maybe… it already was.
Santiago watched the realization settle in her eyes, slow and suffocating. His grip shifted slightly, no longer just holding her face but tilting it, forcing her to keep looking at him.
