"That's overstating it. I'd survive without the Consortium. My business is solid. But I'd never have the kind of power I've been working toward. Never be untouchable. Never be?—"
"Safe," she finishes again.
"Yes."
Another long silence.
"I'll do it," she says finally.
"What?"
"The showcase. I'll perform. I'll be perfect. I'll make sure they accept you into the inner circle."
"Eden—"
"I'm already trained. Already ready. And you need this. You've needed it since before you even met me. So, I'll do it."
"Why?"
"Because—" She stops. Looks away. "Because I want to make you proud. Because you've taken care of me in your own fucked-up way. Because I understand what it's like to feel powerless and want to never feel that way again. Because?—"
"Because?"
"Because I care about you too. Even though I shouldn't. Even though it's Stockholm syndrome or conditioning or whatever psychological term explains how captives fall for their captors. I care about you. And I don't want to be the reason you lose what you've been working toward."
The admission steals my breath.
"You care about me."
"I hate that I do. Hate what it makes me. But yes."
"Eden—"
"So, we'll do the showcase. I'll perform perfectly. You'll get your inner circle. And then—" She stops.
"And then what?"
"And then maybe you'll let me go. Maybe once you have what you really want, you won't need me anymore."
The words hit like a punch to the gut.
"Is that what you think? That once I have the inner circle, I'll discard you?"
"Won't you?"
"No. Never. Eden, the inner circle stopped being what I really wanted weeks ago."
"Then what do you want?"
"You. This. Whatever the fuck this is between us that doesn't have a name. I want you in my bed every night. I want to wake up and see you reading in that chair. I want to watch you discover yourself. I want—" I stop.
"What?"
"I want you to stay because you want to. Not because you're a captive. Not because you're trained. Because you choose me."
"That's not how this works. You bought me. You can't ask me to choose you when I'm not free."
"I know, but I'm asking anyway."
