The connection opened immediately, her Essentia pouring into me like liquid sunlight. Clean, bright, with an undercurrent of something almost electric. I watched her pupils dilate as the sensation hit her—the same circuit closing, but amplified by awareness and anticipation.

"Oh," she breathed, her fingers tightening around mine.

I carefully moderated the drain, keeping it shallow, just enough to maintain the warm buzz between us without taking too much. Even so, I could taste her on my tongue—summer mornings and clear skies.

"That’s..." Her voice had gone husky.

"Yeah," I agreed, understanding perfectly.

Aurora’s free hand moved to her chest, pressing against her sternum as though feeling her heart rate. "Does this happen with everyone you touch?"

"No. Only certain people."

"What makes them certain?"

I met her eyes directly. "Compatibility. Chemistry. Call it what you want."

She swallowed, her throat working visibly, but didn’t pull away. "And what exactly does this... connection... do?"

"It feels good," I said simply. "Beyond that, depends on the people involved."

"That’s not an answer."

"It’s the only one I have right now."

The energy between us continued to cycle, warming with each loop. I could see her breathing changing, becoming shallower. Her cheeks flushed pinker.

"Aurora," I said softly, "if you want me to let go, you need to say so."

"I..." She licked her lips, eyes slightly unfocused. "It’s a lot."

"I know."

"But I don’t want you to let go yet."

Heat pooled in my stomach at her words. This was dangerous territory. We were in public. She was Nolan’s girl in the original story. The protagonist’s love interest.

And she was looking at me like she wanted to climb inside my skin.

"Aurora," I said again, voice lower this time. "We should probably take this somewhere private."

Her eyes widened fractionally as she processed the implications. "Your apartment?"

"Unless you have a better suggestion."

She finally slid her hand from mine, breaking the connection. The loss was physical, a sudden emptiness where warmth had been. Aurora took a shaky breath, composing herself.

"Okay," she agreed. "Let’s go to your place."

We left our half-finished drinks on the table and walked back to my building in charged silence. Her arms wrapped around herself as though cold despite the warm afternoon. I kept a careful distance between us.

Carl nodded as we passed through the lobby. If he thought anything about me returning with a different girl than I’d left with this morning, his face revealed nothing.

In the elevator, Aurora stood in the opposite corner, watching me.

"Are Mera and Hae-Won there?" she asked suddenly.

"No. They went shopping."

"Convenient."

I shrugged. "Their idea, not mine."

"So they know I’m coming over."

"They know we’re talking."

Aurora’s eyes narrowed. "About?"

"Whatever you want to talk about." I held her gaze. "Nothing has to happen, Aurora."

"But something could."

The elevator chimed as we reached the penthouse floor. The doors slid open to reveal my private foyer.

"That’s entirely up to you," I said, stepping out and holding the door for her.

Aurora remained in the elevator, conflicted. For a moment I thought she might hit the button for the lobby and disappear. Instead, she squared her shoulders and stepped out to join me.

"Show me your apartment," she said.

I unlocked the door and led her inside. Her eyes widened as she took in the expansive living space, floor-to-ceiling windows, and expensive furnishings.

"Wow," she murmured. "This is..."

"Excessive?"

"I was going to say beautiful." She walked to the windows, looking out over Century City. "The view is incredible."

"One of the perks of being an Angelo." I moved to the kitchen. "Water? Tea? Something stronger?"

"Water is fine."

I filled two glasses and brought them over, setting hers on the coffee table before taking a seat on the couch. Aurora remained by the windows, keeping space between us.

"So," I said. "You felt something when we touched that you couldn’t explain."

She nodded, still looking out at the city. "I’ve never experienced anything like it before."

"And that scared you."

"It confused me." She turned to face me. "I need to know what it means."

"It doesn’t have to mean anything."

"Don’t do that." Her voice sharpened. "Don’t dismiss it. You know exactly what’s happening, and you’re choosing not to tell me."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "What do you want me to say, Aurora? That my Essentia forms unusual connections with certain people? That it feels good when it happens? That’s all true."

"And Mera and Hae-Won..." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Are both people I connect with, yes."

She took a step closer. "And me? Am I someone you connect with too?"

"Obviously."

Another step. "Why?"

"I don’t know," I admitted. "It just works that way."

"That’s not good enough." Another step brought her to the edge of the couch. "I need to understand."

I looked up at her, at her flushed cheeks and bright eyes and the way her hands kept clenching and unclenching at her sides. She was beautiful and confused and angry and curious all at once.

"You want to understand?" I stood slowly, giving her time to back away. She didn’t. "Then let me show you."

I raised my hand, palm out, stopping just short of touching her face. Giving her the choice.

Aurora’s breathing quickened. For a long moment, she simply stared at my hand. Then, with deliberate slowness, she leaned forward until her cheek pressed against my palm.

The connection surged open, stronger than before. Her Essentia flooded into me in a warm rush, and I heard her soft gasp as the sensation hit her. Her eyes fluttered closed.

"This," I said softly. "This is what happens."

"It’s so..." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "So intense."

"Yes."

Her eyes opened, fixing on mine. "What are you doing to me?"

"Nothing you don’t want." I stroked my thumb across her cheekbone, feeling her shiver. "Nothing that isn’t already there."

"That doesn’t make sense."

"Doesn’t it?" I stepped closer, my hand still cupping her face. "Your body knows, Aurora. Even if your mind is confused."

She swallowed hard. "What does my body know?"

"That this feels right." I brought my other hand up to frame her face. The drain doubled in intensity, cycling her Essentia faster through both points of contact. "That this connection means something."

Her hands came up to grip my wrists, not pulling away but holding on as though steadying herself. "Rome..."

"Tell me to stop," I whispered. "Tell me you don’t want this, and I’ll step back right now."