Chapter 76

Emma's POV

I didn’t let him finish. Something inside me snapped, and before I could stop myself, I leaned up and kissed him. It was the first time I’d ever kissed someone willingly, and the moment our lips met, it felt like everything around us disappeared. The world shrank until it was just the two of us, tangled together in a moment that felt both inevitable and surprising.

The kiss started slow and tender as if we were testing the waters, afraid that the slightest misstep would shatter the fragile connection between us. His lips were warm and soft against mine, and I could feel the careful restraint in his touch, as though he was afraid to push too far too quickly. But I didn’t want restraint—I wanted to feel everything.

I deepened the kiss, pouring every unspoken emotion into it. The longing, the fear, the overwhelming sense that this was where I was meant to be—it all rushed to the surface, and I kissed him like I’d never kissed anyone before. The intensity of it took me by surp