Dare she tell him he didn’t have to beg for it? That it was already his?
Nikias’ voice echoed in her head.
“I’ll never stop loving her.”
Hypatia’s voice followed.
“The person who gave you that ring is hiding behind a façade.”
“Nikias, I—” Right when she was about to stomp them both out and throw caution to the wind, she heard a sandal scuff on stone.
Aimilia glanced over and saw Turpis standing there, having just come out of the stairwell. Her stomach dropped. His eyes were scanning over her—her and Nikias given the position they were entangled in. His gaze darkened. He let out a small scoff, and then he was gone.
Out of the corner of her eye, a flicker of a smirk passed over Nikias’ face. How long had Turpis been there?
How long had Nikias known he’d been there?
Nikias glanced at the sun setting low in the sky.
None of this had been a coincidence. Nikias had known she was going to be here at sunset; he’d had all day to come and find her to do this. He’d waited.
A trap.
Howstupidwas she?
She’d seen him do this before, she’d even suspected he was doing it again, and she’d still fallen for it. Aimilia shoved Nikias off of her. She hissed, “This was your plan. Whatever you did the other day didn’t scare him off, so that’s why you did this.”
“Aimilia—” Nikias reached for her again, but she smacked his hand away.
“No! You don’t get to try and talk your way out of this. All of this went according to your plan. You got what you wanted. If you eliminate any other option, then I’ll have to choose you.”
“That’s not what I was trying to do?—”
Aimilia laughed. “Really? You waited all day until you knew I would be at this tower, and you knew Turpis would be coming, and youdidn’t mean for this to happen? You didn’t come here with the intention of leading me away or making a scene so convincing that when Turpis arrived and saw it he would be scared off?”
Nikias winced. “Well, that’s—I’m not trying to make you choose me.”
Aimilia just shook her head. There was no use talking to him. It wouldn’t matter. He’d say anything, and she couldn’t trust herself not to fall for it.
She already had twice now.
Aimilia reached into her pocket and pulled out the necklace with Nikias’ name on it. She took a few steps away from him.
Nikias looked up, eyes widening. They locked in on the necklace, and he said, “Aimilia— Let me just explain.”
Aimilia shook her head. “You’ve explained enough. There is nothing you can say to me now that will change what you’ve done. I know you well enough to know why you did it.”
“But thewhymatters. I love you. And you—” Nikias took a few steps toward her, following her as she inched toward therailing. “And I know you feel something for me too. Aimilia, tell me that you love me too.”
Aimilia looked down at the necklace. She curled her hand into a fist around it, and then looked back up at Nikias. The sun was almost below the horizon. Darkness was closing in on them. Nikias’ pleas hung in the air between them.
He sounded so earnest.
The way he looked at her was so familiar.
And that was exactly why she couldn’t trust it.
He was lying.
