“Class is over, Warrick,” he says. “In case that wasn’t obvious.”
“What was that?” I ask, in a raspy voice.
“Congrats, you passed.”
I grab his forearm, and he comes to a halt.
“Unhand me, Warrick,” he says darkly.
“I failed that test,” I say. “I want a redo.”
Ender takes a step forward, hovering menacingly over me.
“You want me back in there.” He taps my head. “You want more games.”
I shove him back, but he just steps forward.
“Or is it something else? Did you enjoy the first scene more than the last?” he taunts.
He is referring to the kiss. My cheeks burn at the assumption.
“It was a nightmare,” I blurt. “I hated every second of it.”
“Liar,” he whispers.
“That was for you to satisfy your own twisted curiosity,” I accuse. “Admit it! You wanted to know what it was like to kiss me.”
“That was a part of your test,” Ender says evenly. “Don’t read into it.”
“So you kissed Flint, too?” I demand. “Should I ask him?”
A vein ticks in his jaw.
“It worked,” he says. “You fell for it. You begged me to kiss you, and now you’re all out of sorts about it.”
“It wasn’t real,” I yell. “That wasn’t me.”
“I can only control the environment around you,” he says. “Plant false narratives and build the scene. You choose how to react. You could have walked away.”
Anger spreads through me like wildfire. He is smirking at me.Smirking. I want nothing more than to wipe that self-satisfied expression off his face.
“You’re enjoying this,” I say. “You sick monster.”
His smile drops. In the blink of an eye, his hand reaches out, catching my wrist and dragging me backward. I don’t get a second to catch my breath. He doesn’t stop until my back hits the stone wall beneath the observatory stairs, his body cages mine in, one arm braced beside my head.
“You need to learn when to shut up,” Ender hisses.
My pulse skids. He’s too close. The faint scent of night air clings to him, and my traitorous mind flashes to that moment in the illusion. His frame wrapped in black silk, his hands firm on my hips, his tongue tangled with mine.
“Get off me,” I say, even as my breath stutters.
His gaze drops to my mouth.
“Are you thinking about it?”
“No,” I lie.
“Do you want to know why I pulled you out?”
