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It was all fake.
And not because he needed to convince people we were together. It was all a lie.
And the others knew about it.
That was the worst part, I thought—that Zac and Salem could look me in the eye and pretend to be my friends.
Did they feel sorry for me? Did they see me as the gullible prey walking directly into the predator’s trap?
Or were they in on it? Maybe they, too, were part of this plan. For all I knew, it was their idea.
I shook my head. It was my fault for trusting them, anyway. It was my fault for letting them in. I should have seen it all coming. Salem didn’t want my friendship, she wanted to see how deeply Alek had dug his claws.
And I didn’t see a single thing.
The doorknob to the room twisted.
Shit. Alek was back sooner than expected.
My clothes were still filthy on the bathroom floor. I pulled my towel tighter around my body, ensuring it was tucked tightly under my arm as Alek entered the room.
“I hope you like Chinese,” he announced as he shut the door behind him.
“Perfect,” I replied.
Alek set his key down and moved to sit next to me at the foot of the bed. If he was in any way fazed by my towel-dress, he didn’t show it.
I turned my attention back to the TV as he dug through the takeout bag.
“How are you feeling?” he asked in a light voice.
How was I feeling? I turned my head to look at him. “Tired,” I admitted. My voice cracked.
I wanted to tell him everything. I wanted to tell him how hurt and betrayed he had made me feel. I wanted to tell him how badly I wanted to hate him for what he did, how badly I wanted to never see him again.
And I wanted to tell him how what hurt the most was thinking I could actually trust him. Thinking he would actually take care of me.
I cleared my throat to stop the rush of emotion from coming forward.
“Lyra,” he said in a hushed whisper. Alek was no longer looking in the food bag. He moved closer to me on the bed, his arm brushing mine as he leaned in and tilted my chin toward him. “I’m sorry for everything. You deserved more than this.”
His hand lingered on my chin. I became all too aware of his thumb brushing the skin on my cheek. My eyelids fluttered shut as I focused on the sensation.
“I never expected to have much of a life,” I admitted. “Theia was always very clear on that. She made me repeat it over and over again when I was a child. And for a long time, I was okay with that. I accepted my fate.”
Alek’s thumb brushed over my cheekbone.
“What changed?” he asked.
My eyes met his. “You did,” I admitted. “That first night at the bar, I never expected to meet you. I never expected to start living my life. Somehow, I finally began to see everything I was missing out on. I didn’t care that you were using me to impress your father; it was better than being locked inside forever.”
Alek was so close now, his breath tickled my cheek. “Do you regret it? Do you regret meeting me?”
My breathing hitched.DidI regret it? Did I regret getting out of my apartment for once and feeling like a real college girl? Did I regret letting Alek show me how to live? The fear, the adrenaline, the risk. Those were the pieces of living that made me feel.
It had been so long since I had felt anything.
And now, I feared it was all over.
