“Why? I don’t want you here.”
His face falls, disappointment dripping from every crease. “I was hoping you’d come around… And forgive me.”
“And then what? We live happily ever after on this island? I’m imprisoned here, remember?”
“If you were to have a change of heart… maybe…”
“What?”
“Maybe we could convince him to let you come home.”
My heart leaps. Is this my way off the island? Could I bring myself to… pretend with him? The male I loathe with everything in me that bleeds?
The thought makes me only slightly nauseous… I’m pretty numb anyway. How bad could it be?
Just for a little while…
I lock eyes with him. “I want nothing more than to go home,” I say in a whisper. I think the crack in my voice could be perceived as sadness, rather than the true disgust I feel. Hopefully.
He stares back, assessing me, and then his face softens.
I need to back off though. If my switch up is too sudden, he’ll know I’m playing him.
“Not with you though. You broke my heart,” I say, walking past him into the castle.
A little bit at a time.
I glare back over my shoulder, just for dramatic effect. He’s watching me, and I try to give him an anguished look. He always did like swooping in to be the hero.
When I reach the second floor, Phaedra stops me. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”
She gives me a look, then folds her arms. “I saw you talking to Adrian.”
Odd that she’s on a first name basis with him. How often have they been chatting?
“He cornered me. I was just telling him how I missed home.”
She gives me a perplexed look, like she doesn’t believe me, but she also doesn’t know what my game is.
“Do you two chat much?” I ask her casually.
“No.”
Too quick.
“Oh. Okay. You just used his name. I thought maybe…”
“What?”
“Nothing. Just… he’s not a great person. Know that.”
“It’s all about perspective, isn’t it?”
“If you say so.”
Well, that’s a bummer. Maybe she just needs to get off this island, like I do. We don’t get much human interaction here. Adrian probably swooped in and showed her a touch of his charm, and now she thinks he’s the good guy. I can’t blame her. She doesn’t know everything.
