King of Pride

“You think you’re broken, but I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. Smart. Strong. Beautiful. Imperfect by your own standards but so wonderfully perfect for me.”

“Every single part of you, from your laugh to your humor to the way you can’t stop talking about condoms.”

“I love you, Isabella Valencia.”

“I don’t care. This isn’t about reason. It’s about love, and there’s nothing reasonable about love.”

“By building one of our own,”

“I’m never going to stop being me, Kai, and I don’t want you to stop being you. So how can we be together when we belong to separate worlds?”

A moan climbed up my throat. I tried to push back against him, but his other hand braced my hip, forcing me to still.

“Or we’ll be here all day.”

“Start reading, Isabella.”

“It’s simple. If you can read a full page out loud without stopping or stuttering, I’ll let you come.”