Cole glares down at me. In his eyes, I see conflict. He doesn’t like the situation he’s in.
I don’t blame him. He loses no matter what choice he makes because it will only divide his people further.
Finally, he speaks. “I’ll do you one better. You two can stay the night under house arrest in one of the apartments.”
HUNTER
Spending one last night with Fiona should be a dream come true.
Instead, I feel tortured.
I hate myself for what she had to go through to try and save me. That she had to relive the abuse she’d endured for too long.
“You won’t be able to leave the apartment once you’re inside,” Atticus says. “But there’s a button next to the door if you need anything.”
Fiona nods as she crosses the threshold into the apartment.
I can’t bring myself to enter.
“You should take me to the holding,” I tell Atticus.
“Don’t do this to yourself,” Atticus whispers. “All we want—”
“You want something I can’t give you, so stop looking. Bring me to holding and go back to your books and your libraries or whatever else it is that nerds like you enjoy.”
He cocks his head to the side and gives me a look, his brow narrowing. “Huh?”
“Look, I have nothing against nerds—”
“Why aren’t you coming in?” Fiona interrupts.
I look up to see a sad expression marring her beautiful face.
I hate that I’ve done this to her.
Atticus looks lost in his own world, muttering things under his breath.
“Are you mad at me?” Fiona asks.
“No,” I say, trying to make my tone reassuring.
Snapping out of his daze, Atticus says, “Go in there. Give her closure.”
I know I shouldn’t. That me leaving might be the best thing for her.
But I can’t.
I need her.
I enter the apartment, and without another word, Atticus locks us in.
“For a moment, I was worried you didn’t want to join me,” Fiona says.
“I wanted to more than anything,” I confess.
“Then what took you so long?”
“I just didn’t want to make things worse for you.”
