“Back so soon?” I lean on the island after letting him in.
Leo braces his arms on the opposite side. “I hate to break it to you, but I can’t bring myself to stay away.”
“You had no problem before.”
“Funny, I distinctly remember finding you at the ball.”
“Ah, yes, you were so kind.”
“Never said I was kind, sweetheart. Just that I’m drawn to you.”
I bite my cheek to hide the growing smile. We stare across at each other, delicious tension building between us.
“Are you prepared to deal with Orion?” And a bucket of water has been dumped on that tension.
I rub my temples. I’ve had plenty of time to consider how to handle Orion. We share a common goal, which requires us to be cordial—not to mention that keeping me alive is in his best interest. Outside of that, though, there will be no friendship. This is now strictly business between us. “I’ve got it covered.”
“Not that you need it, but I’ll happily back you up.”
“You only want an excuse to fight him.”
“Semantics.”
I snort, and he flashes a bright smile—a swoon-worthy vision. “Get out of here. We have an early day tomorrow. Thank you for checking on me.”
“Always, Zellie.”
The night before the first challenge, Celeste, Lenny, Aria, and I gather at Celeste’s for a celebratory dinner. We survived four weeks in an entirely new world, far from what we’ve known. We’ve forged a bond together, one that feels closer than friendship. Celeste is pure sunlight, radiating through my darkest moments. She feels like an extension of me, much like Jada does.My heart aches at the thought of Jada. Stars, I miss her. Lenny is thoughtful and funny. He has a goofiness that can bring a smile to anyone’s face. Aria is reserved and kind. I know that when we speak, she’s giving me her full attention, and that alone is so comforting—to be truly seen.
I’m proud of all of them, including myself. I returned to training without issue while navigating my professional relationship with Orion smoothly. As we sit on the floor with our bowls of noodles, laughing and ignoring the threatening anxiety gnawing at each of us, I know I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure we each come back tomorrow.
Our goodbyes are heartfelt; our hugs are seconds longer than usual. Tomorrow, everything changes.
I set back out to my apartment early in the evening, as we all want to get enough rest for whatever is to come. I follow the long hallway mindlessly, thinking about everything and nothing.Oof.Right into a wall of muscle. A familiar crisp and clean smell invades my airways. I know when I look up, amber eyes will greet me.
“Are you ready for tomorrow?” He takes one step backwards.
“As ready as I can be.”
With a soft grip, Leo tugs my chin to meet his look, his eyes glistening. “You do whatever it takes, you hear me?”
Why is he helping me? Why does he care? “Do you care if I make it or not?”
Like water extinguishing a flame, Leo drops his hand. “If you ask that, you haven’t been paying attention.”
“I’m sorry,” I rush out, grabbing his arm. “It’s hard to distinguish what is real here.”
His voice is a caress. “You can trust me to always be real with you, Zellie.”
“We will both move forward tomorrow.” A promise.
“There’s my girl.”My girl. The words caress my soul. “The Kosmos does not decide, the stars don’t decide,wedecide our fate.”
“See you tomorrow?” I break contact reluctantly.
“It’s a promise.”
He saunters past me towards his apartment while I carry on in the opposite direction towards mine.
