“You look like you haven’t slept in a week and might fight thesun if it looks at you wrong,” he told me.
“I said I’mfine.”
Krusk grunted. “That’s a lie.”
I exhaled through my nose. “What do you two want?”
“For you to stop being extremely dramatic,” Enka said with a shrug.
Krusk elbowed him. “Respectfully dramatic.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I don’t want to talk about it,” I told them, sounding the words out with the last bits of my patience.
“That’s too bad,” Krusk said. “Wedo.”
I hated that tone, because it meant there was an intervention coming. That tone meant thatfeelingswere going to be discussed, and it was thelastthing I wanted to talk about.
“I’m leaving,” I muttered.
“You’re not,” Enka countered.
I tried to walk past him, but he stepped directly into my path—all focus and nerve. And for some reason, despite being older than him and knowing that I could take him in a one-on-one fight if I really wanted to, I stopped.He was looking at me with those sharp, perceptive eyes of his.
“You’re unraveling,” he said simply.
I swallowed hard, looking away.Krusk stepped closer, voice low.
“We’ve seen it before, Savla.”
My chest tightened painfully, knowing what was coming.
“We watched Father fall apart piece by piece,” Krusk continued. “We know the signs.”
“That’s not what this is,” I snapped, too quick, too defensive.
Krusk raised an eyebrow. “Really? Because you look like him when Mom died.”
The words struck like a hammer and I flinched hard, accepting the blow.
Enka glared at Krusk. “That was too far.”
Krusk winced. “Yeah. I’m sorry. That was… sorry.”
I didn’t move and didn’t speak. There was nothing that I could say in response to that.Enka’s voice softened—which was worse than yelling.
“But he’s not wrong,” he said quietly. “You’re carrying something alone. And you’re not meant to.”
I looked away, jaw tight. “It’s easier that way.”
“No,” Krusk said firmly. “It’s not.”
Enka nudged me with his elbow. “Is this about Hanna?”
My heart stuttered and I didn’t answer fast enough.Enka’s eyes widened.
“Itis—”
Krusk clamped a hand over his mouth.
