He sighs heavily, looking down at his hands in his lap before his onyx eyes find mine. “If I had interjected sooner, none of that would have happened. Especially the sedation.”
“That’s not on you,” I insist, shaking my head. “Besides, you don’t owe me anything.”
“Are you forgetting the fact that you saved me from the rebellion?” he quickly snaps back. The venom in his words isn’t aimed at me, but I can tell it runs deep.
“No, but I don’t expect anything. We helped each other in that moment,” I insist. “You more than made up for it when you helped me stay focused.”
“You mean letting you drive my car?” he mumbles, and I’m still unsure if he regrets that decision or not. God knows how much the detailing to clean the blood out of the seats will cost.
“That,” I confirm, a soft smile curling my lip for a moment before I remember why I’m here. “So, why am I not holed up at The Sanctum right now?” I ask, and he rolls his eyes.
“I cleared everyone’s memories. Except for Kael, Thorne, and Ocean, of course.”
“How?” No way could he have done that to so many people.
“Time and patience, but your secret is safe for a little longer.”
I almost extend my hand to squeeze his arm like I did with Ocean at the coffee shop, but I refrain, aware he spooks the closer I get. “Thank you,” I murmur, and he nods before standing, stuffing his hands back in his pockets as he rocks back on his heels.
“How long have I been out?” I dare to ask, noting the lack of sunlight peeking around the closed curtains, and he winces.
“Ten hours.”
“Ten!”
He rolls his eyes at my dramatics, but I can’t believe I’ve been out of it for so long. “You probably need to rest a little more.”
“I’m fine. Maybe I should go so you can rest. It sounds like you need it more than I do,” I insist, flicking the covers back so I can swing my legs over the side of the bed, but he’s towering over me before my feet can touch the floor.
“Stay.”
Peering up at him, I frown. “Last time I stayedtoo long, you ended up a tad insane. I’d rather not chance whatever kind of understanding we have going on right now, Thorne.”
“Just a little longer, Echo,” he breathes, making my brows pinch even tighter.
“Why do you call me that?” I whisper, and he shakes his head, taking a step back as he rakes his fingers through his hair.
I can sense the shift in the air before I see it in his eyes. “You’re right, maybe you should go.”
The rejection stings more than I care to admit. He saved me from The Sanctum, used so much of his magic to do so, yet I ask anything personal, and he shuts down, even when it involves me.
My chin dips to my chest as I exhale, defeated. I keep my gaze locked on the floor as I stand, bypassing him as I head for the door. I wrap my hand around the handle, praying for him to call my name and make me stop, but it doesn’t come. Instead, I trudge through the surprisingly empty dorm, no Kael or Rion in sight, and open the next obstacle in my way.
“Echo.”
I have one foot in the room, the other in the hallway. I consider pretending I didn’t hear him and charge for my room. It’s the safest option, but thecuriosity inside of me rears its head, setting me up for failure as always.
My teeth sink into my bottom lip as I peer over my shoulder at him.
“Close the door on the way out,” he murmurs from his spot in the doorway to his room. When the door clicks shut, the sound echoing around the room, the wood doesn’t stand between us, but the distance remains.
I’m like a whimsical little bunny rabbit chasing the carrot to my demise.
Using the door to prop myself up, I blink at him expectantly. I’m sure he’s not going to move, that he’s going to bellow for me to get the hell out, and when my fingers glide across the wood, doubt creeping in, I’m ready to do just that when he moves.
His steps are measured as he prowls toward me, his gaze fixed on mine as he eliminates the distance between us. By the time he’s standing in front of me, I’m trembling with my breath lodged in my throat while my heart races so fast I’m certain I’m dying.
He towers over me as he reaches for my face, running the side of his finger across my skin, leaving goosebumps in his wake. We were standing just like this on the beach when the moment wasshattered by the rebellion, but there’s a chance we can make up for it now.
