That did sound like her, though it must have been hard for her to go that far. Was that why Amira had always seemed sooff?
Shaking the thought, Lora asked, “So you’re still dealing drugs?” She had a hard time letting it all sink in. A heavy weight pulled at her heart.
“No.Only for Rhay. And I only used the few pills I had stashed away from my past.”
“Why did you keep them?” she said, her voice raising with accusation. Did he ever consider taking it himself? She shuddered at the mere thought.
“Insurance. I knew they were worth a lot. I never intended to actually use them or sell them.” He leaned closer, holding her gaze. “I’venevertaken fortae.”
She pulled back. “Right. You just sold it.”
“I did. There’s no excuse. I told myself it was all for El, but she already called me out on that. It was on me. Ichoseto play that game, and it was my fault I got tangled up with someone like Rahmur Piers.”
Lora crossed her arms across her chest. Her thoughts shot through her brain so fast, she didn’t know what to land on. She understood doing everything for one’s family, but fortae…the thought of any kind of involvement with the drug sickened her.
“Say something,” Eyden pleaded.
“I don’t know what to say.” Could she move past this? Could she trust him, knowing his past? “Is there anything else I should know about? Any more drugs you sold?”
Eyden sighed, shaking his head. “There are not many things I regret in life. A lot of my bad choices have been necessary. To survive. To make sure El would be fine. But getting involved with fortae is a definite regret.” His blazing eyes met hers. “So is walking away from you that day in Rubien. I saw how much it hurt you. I know I was the one whoruinedeverything. Ruined what was building between us, making you doubt me enough to sneak away while I was still asleep. And we both know how that ended.”
Her breath caught in her throat, emotions strangling her. “We’re both at fault. I lied to you from the start.”
“I understand why you did, and, if I’m honest, I understood it even back then. When you said you were half-fae, something inside me snapped. It wasn’t just about the lies. I always lived under the impression that no half-fae could exist, that none could survive.” Eyden’s gaze looked mournful. Lora resisted the urge to reach for his hand. No matter his past, she didn’t want to see him hurt. “It gave me some peace, knowing it was a fate that couldn’t be changed. That my half-sibling had always been doomed to die with my mother…”
“Your mother?” Lora’s hands shook; she clasped them in her lap. “She died because she was pregnant with a half-fae child?”
Eyden didn’t respond right away. He lowered his gaze. “My mother and El’s uncle were in love.”
“I’m so sorry.” Words left her mouth faster than she could track. “Your sibling died and I didn’t. I can’t even imagine…I’m sorry that I’m—”
“Don’t apologise for existing, Lora. That thought never even crossed my mind. I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad that you went to Liraen, that our paths crossed. I wouldn’t want it any other way.” He let out a slow breath, his eyes telling her everything she needed to know. “That is theleastregretful I’ve ever felt.”
“I’m glad too,” she confessed before her mind could catch up. Her heart was speaking for her, beating fast, fluttering. Even with Eyden’s past, she didn’t regret meeting him in the slightest.
He’d proven more than once what kind of person he was. He fought hard for the ones he loved. He cared deeply, sometimes too much. The bad choices he’d made didn’t define him, didn’t cancel out the pure goodness in him. It was precisely the fact that shedidknow him, his past and present, that made her trust him.
“You are?” Eyden asked, a hopeful note to his low voice.
“In a strange way, yes.” Her hands reached for the empty spot on her collarbone where her necklace used to sit. Eyden tracked her move. “But I miss home. I miss my family. And I’m…I’m scared I’ll never see them again.”
“Youwill.I know you don’t like promises, but I will promise you this: I will do everything in my power to make sure you’re safe. You and your mother.”
Her mother. He knew where her worries were taking her. Tears built up, and she shook them off with a small laugh. “What happened to the guy who’d rather keep to the shadows?” she teased.
“Youhappened,” Eyden replied, not missing a beat. Pushing back his chair, he walked around the table. Lora felt compelled to stand up. “You’re the fire that ignited my life, pulled me from the shadows. When I’m with you…it feels like I finally made it to the light.”
A shiver ran over her skin, lighting a fire in its path. “You were already there. I saw it.” She stepped closer, drawn by the undeniable connection between them. “You helped me even though you didn’t trust me. You’d do everything for your sister, even if that means letting her go. You constantly look for ways to change things. You keep track of everyone who’s lost because you don’t want them to be forgotten.”
Lora took a shaky breath, taking in Eyden’s stunned expression, his hopeful eyes that burned her in the best way. His face inched towards her.
“I don’t agree with all your past choices, but nothing could ever make me want to forget you,” she said. Her lips almost brushed his, turning her voice into a whisper. “Nothing.In this world or mine.”
Chapter50
Lora
Eyden’s eyes flickered with utter relief, hope, and want all mixed into one. His lips met Lora’s eagerly, drawing a sigh from her as her lips parted, letting him in. The fire in her sparked, electricity running right to her heart.
