Wiping a hand down my face, I focus on keeping the conversation on track. “I think Elodie is right.” All eyes are on me now, except for Thorne. “I think we need to call the Rebellion out, but doing so means we also need an in.”
Rion frowns, and as I turn to him, I sense Thorne’s gaze for the first time, but it's Elodie who speaks.
“I can't tell what you are alluding to.”
She can. Deep down I know she can. She just doesn’t want to admit it.
I rock back on my heels, staring at the floor as I take a deep breath, hating how exposed I feel right now, but the moment they all saw me under the control of my brother, they saw me at my worst. I have to learn to offer this side of myself if I want to succeed; if I want us all to move past this.
“Drawing Jude out leaves his captives exposed, but we're going to need someone there to set them free,” I explain, and Ocean purses her lips.
“And you think that should be you?” Oceanclarifies, and I shrug, daring to lift my head, opting to keep my focus on her instead of looking to the girl who matters the most.
“It makes sense,” I offer with a shrug, despite the tension in my muscles.
“Sure, if you have a death wish,” Rion scoffs, and I aim a withering look in his direction, avoiding Elodie’s gaze right beside his big, stupid head.
“As reckless as I might be, I'm not quite there yet,” I insist, pulling my hands from my pockets only to plant them on my hips.
Elodie waves her hand, making it impossible to avoid her any longer. The second our gazes connect, she exhales. “Sorry, sex-induced haze right now, but… what am I not getting?”
Ocean snickers as Elodie clamps a hand over her mouth in embarrassment, while Rion beams obnoxiously.
My chin finds my chest as I take a deep breath, mustering the strength to face her head-on and speak the truth. “I think the in we need is me.”
“Absolutely not,” Elodie balks, jumping to her feet with a huff.
No hesitation.
No question.
Nothing.
It’s the part of her that drives me insane and makes me hot for her all at once. Swallowing the temptation to grin, I cock a brow at her. “That's cute, Elodie, but I'm not asking. I'm explaining before I follow through with my plan,” I offer, and she shakes her head at me in disbelief.
“Kael…” She starts taking a step toward me, and I lift my hands.
“It's what has to be done.”
“There's another way,” she insists, and I scoff.
“If there was, someone else would have come up with it by now. The likely fact is, they have, and it's the same as mine, but they don't want to say it,” I murmur, my gaze snapping to Thorne, who quickly looks away, confirming my suspicions.
Elodie eliminates the rest of the distance between us, coming toe to toe with me as she wraps her fingers around both of my arms. It’s not lost on me, even in these moments when her emotions are a little heightened, that she is mindful of her hands not making contact with my chest.
I wouldn’t care if they did.
I’d let her burn me from the inside out if it meant I got to be close to her.
“I can't let you do this, Kael,” she breathes,pulling me from my thoughts. I offer a small smile, but I know she sees through it.
“I already am, because it's our best shot.”
“I need you to hear me, Kael.” She speaks slowly, her eyes wild despite the calmness she's exuding. “I will not risk you falling back under that asshole's power again. Especially not for me.”
My heart softens as I brush her hair back off her face, curling it around her ear as I let my fingers ghost across her skin.
She looks deep into my eyes, her gaze almost touching my soul as her shoulders sag. I know she can sense the resolution I feel; she just doesn't want to believe it.
