Shattered by the Alpha Stronger Than Ever novel Chapter 119

Chaptenos

Karissa

I gazed at Deckard, my eyes searching for any sign of uncomfortability but all I saw was genuine affection and anxiety filled concern etched on his face. I scooted back to give him space, he sat down across from me. I needed him near, afraid that if he sat too far away. we wouldn’t be able to communicate effectively.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself before speaking the words that had been lingering in my mind, and sprinting in my chest. “You said you

love n me,” I pointed, my voice steady as I met his gaze. And in that instant, something shifted on his face, like the gentle stirring of someone waking up from a peaceful slumber. His features relaxed, and a zealous shine spread across his features, illuminating his entire face with a warm glow.

“I did,” he replied, dipping his head in a gentle, affirming nod, his words confident and his eyes shone with sincerity. I felt contentment settling over me, a sense of relief and reassurance that the understanding we shared was still strong, still unbroken.

“I don’t understand,” I murmured, my gaze drifting downward as my heart began to race with confusion and unspoken questions. “Please help me understand.” I begged, lifting my heavy eyes to meet his once more. The sight that greeted me took my breath away. His eyes, normally guarded, now seemed to hold a deep longing, a vulnerability that was both haunting and heartbreaking. It was as if Jevery facade, every carefully constructed defense, had been stripped away, leaving me with a glimpse of the pain he had been hiding, a

pain that seemed to reverberate through every cell of his being

He extended a trembling hand, his movements tentative, as if uncertain of how I would react. But as his rough palms cradled my face with unexpected gentleness, warmth emanate from his touch, soothing my skin and calming my nerves. I leaned in, a subtle invitation for him to continue, and his eyes, shining with unshed tears, locked onto mine. His voice dense, cracked with emotion as he confessed, “I’ve always loved you, Karissa, ever since I can remember. You’re the only one I’ve ever loved.”

“At first, my feelings were just a flicker, a light bulb, a special but – dimly glowing flicker in the back of my mind, because you were so much younger than me–my best friend’s younger cousin. But as time went on, that flicker began to expand into a strange, compelling urge to be with you, to protect you, to keep you happy. It soon transformed into the brightest star in my universe.” He confessed with such delicacy that I felt as if I might burst from the beauty of his heartfelt declaration.

“It was something I couldn’t–and didn’t even want to–feel for anyone else. But I didn’t truly understand what it was until you turned fifteen. Do you remember that Christmas when I was visiting? You told me you wanted your first kiss to be with someone special, and you asked if I could be that person. Remember how you leaned in and pecked me?” He urged me to recall the moment. Oh goodness, I thought he would have forgotten that. I had been such a silly teenager, grappling with desperate feelings as I began to explore the world of puberty. In that moment, I had acted on impulse and kissed him. I was terrified 1 had upset him or done something wrong, so I ran away. The next day, I asked him to forget it since we were both friends and he was so much older.

“That was the moment I realized that I love you, and it could only ever be you–no one else,” he admitted, his voice thick with emotion as if he were reliving that moment all over again. I felt my cheeks flush with warmth at his words.

My heart convulsed, sending shivers coursing through my entire body, as if his words had excavated a cavern deep within me, a deep space where they would forever reside. Meanwhile, my mind reeled, grappling to comprehend the revelation. He had always loved me? The revelation was both astonishing and bewildering. Had I remained oblivious to his feelings for so long? Why had I never harbored even a glimmer of doubt or suspicion?

This incredible person, one of my closest friends, had harbored feelings for me, and I had never once considered him in a romantic way. The realization sent my mind into a frenzy, as if violent waves were crashing against the shores of my thoughts.

My brain, ever the arrogant analyzer, began to frantically scrabble the possibilities. What if I had seen him in a different light? What if I had fallen in love with him instead? I wondered if I could have avoided the anguish of betrayal. Could I have found happiness with this remarkable man, who would have loved me exclusively, loyally.

“Karissa,” he calls softly, his voice piercing the fog of my thoughts and drawing me back to the present. I snapped my head up, refocusing on the man before me, and leaving behind the tantalizing yet impossible what–ifs of the past.

“But, Sophie?” I echoed, my brow furrowed in confusion, as my mind struggled to reconcile the revelation with the tangled web of memories. The room seemed to blur around me, leaving only the disorienting sense of being lost in a maze of conflicting emotions. Chapter105

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