Rebirth Of The Rejected Luna Chapter 202: Erika's Mind

Tiana's POV

Peter froze.

His body tensed slightly, his muscles freezing up like he was bracing for impact. He turned slowly to look at me, his muscles tightening across his jaw. “What?”

I said nothing at first, staring at him; a wide-eyed gaze settling on his countenance. I knew he had not expected those words from me— not one bit, but hell, even I was shocked at the words that came out of my mouth.

"What did you say to me?" He asked, his voice taking on a dangerously low note.

“You heard me.” I pushed myself off the bed and stepped toward him. “You pretend as if nothing touches you like you don’t feel a fucking thing. But it’s a lie, isn’t it? You’re scared.”

His eyes darkened. “You don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Don’t I?” I shot back. “You’ve been pulling away because you feel something for me, don’t you?”

Silence.

His face was still, unreadable. But his eyes—his eyes were saying something else.

A storm was building inside him, a battle he didn't know how to handle. He wanted to pretend it wasn't happening, to hide behind the cold, uncaring mask he always wore. But it was starting to crack.

I could see the struggle in the way he breathed, the way his fingers trembled like they wanted to touch me.

I crept a little closer, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure he could hear it. “Tell me I’m wrong, Peter.”

He didn’t.

He couldn’t.

And that was all the answer I needed.

The air between us was like a gun ready to go off in the blink of an eye. Then suddenly, Peter snapped, and he closed the distance between us in one swift motion, his hands clinging to my waist in a rough and wet, desperate effort, and then his lips burst against mine.

It wasn’t soft. It wasn’t careful.

It was fire.

Unforgiving, consuming, like something inside him had finally broken free.

I gasped, my hands fleeing to his chest. I should have stopped him. I should have pushed him away.

But I didn’t. No, Erika didn't. She refused to let go. Instead, her body pulled him closer. My head was screaming to stop, but she was overclouding my senses. It was now her thoughts swirling with mine, mingling, making it all too confusing for me.

She wanted this.

It hit me like a blow to the gut. Erika, the presence inside me, was yearning for him. It wasn't just a leftover feeling from her past. It was real, intense, and struggling to take over in a way I never saw coming.

For a few breathless seconds of recklessness, I gave her permission to sink into it—to drown in the taste of his lips, the heat of his mouth, the hold he put me in like I was the only thing keeping him standing.

Then reality slammed into me like a brick wall. I had to control myself against whatever urge it was that Erika had towards Peter. It was dangerous because even though the plan was to seduce Peter and get information from him, I could not afford to let things go south by getting too physical. I could not let him get attached to what really was not there.

Because if he did, it would be more than just a mistake. It would be a liability. And in my world, liabilities got people killed.

His grip on me tightened a little like he sensed I was trying to pull away. For a moment, I saw something in his eyes that surprised me. A desperate, vulnerable look. It hit me then that maybe this wasn't just about physical attraction or desire. Maybe, for him, this was about something more meaningful.

I broke the kiss, pushing against his chest. “Peter—”

His breathing was deep, his pupils wide open, and he looked... shaken. Like he didn't mean for this to happen. Like it scared him just as much as it scared me.

I shook my head, stepping back. “We can’t.”

His jaw clenched. “Why not?”

“Because,” I swallowed hard, a pulse still running in my neck, “this... whatever this... isn’t real.”

His eyebrows raised. “Not real?” Critical, skeptical voice, just like I said. I just cracked up at myself. “I’m gonna stand here like you didn’t feel that?”

“That’s not what I mean,” I said at once. “I just—” I ran a hand through my hair hard as hell. “This isn’t some game, Peter. You know you’re drawn to me, but unless you know why... we can’t.”

There was a flicker in his expression—frustration, confusion. Why couldn't he understand it? Of course, he couldn't.

How could he?

He had no idea who I really was. Had no idea that, in reality, I was Tiana, the girl his best friend Theo claimed to love. I was Tiana but inhabiting a stranger’s body, her memories, thoughts, and feelings tangling with my own.

And the worst part? I wasn't even sure where I ended and where she began.

What if this wasn't just her influence over me? What if part of me, the real me, wanted this too? The thought sent a chill through me, a warning bell ringing at the back of my mind.

The silence stretched between us, and then finally, he took a step back, his hands folded in fists at his sides. “I should go.”

I nodded, ignoring the painful twist in my chest. “Yeah...”

He hesitated, just for a second like he wanted to say something else. But then, without another word, he turned and walked out, the door clicking shut behind him.

I let out a shaky breath, staring at the empty space where he had been. My heart was still pounding. My lips still tingled from his kiss.

I had made the right choice. I knew that.

So why did it feel like I had just let something slip through my fingers—something I might never get back?

Or was it Erika’s body and mind playing tricks on me?

Or worse... was it mine?