Page 50 of Tangled Hearts

She nodded. “Ok, let's do that.”

She got up and left the room, we were left in stunned silence.

“Maybe we should have broached that subject on a different day.” Gray looked towards the stairs concerned.

“I don’t think there was a better way for us to say it,” I said, straining to hear her.

“You didn’t have to be so blunt,” Gray snapped.

“What else was I supposed to say?” Soren raised his voice, a hint of fear tinging it.

“Soren,” Ryder snapped.

“Fuck this, I’m going to run the perimeter.” Soren stormed out.

“Sor,” Gray called out, following him.

“He’s just hurting, Gray,” I said. “He’s scared.”

“I know, we all are,” he said, before leaving.

Ryder and I stayed in silence.

“Go check on our girl,” he said, getting up. “I gotta call Addie and get this whole thing rolling.”

I smirked.

I liked the sound of “our girl” and no one would take her from us, not her mother, not my brother, not even the gods themselves would succeed.

15

ORIA

She has to die. I know that. It shouldn’t be a surprise but why am I acting like this? She ruined my life. She and Taylin robbed me of a life, kept me hidden, fed me fear just so they could use me.

Why was I feeling sad? She didn’t deserve my tears, she didn’t deserve anything, I just didn’t know if I really wanted to see her die. A small part of me still saw her as my mother or at least the only mother I had ever known.

Now it made sense why she was so cold to me, and didn't show me affection except on the rare occasion. Tears fell down my cheeks as I wondered what it would have felt like to have someone who loved me as I was growing up, or to love me without a hidden agenda.

“Sol?” A soft knock came from the door.

“Yeah,” I said, wiping my face aggressively, hating that I was crying for her and for a man who just used me.

“You ok?” Max asked, coming into the room.

As soon as our eyes connected, my emotions gave in again.

He said nothing as he crossed the room sitting on the bed and grabbed me. I straddled his lap, crying into his neck.

“Why do I feel like this?” I hiccupped. “Why do I care?”

He didn’t say anything at first and I wondered if he had heard me.

“You’re a really good person,” he murmured against my hair. “You've always been good, thinking of others before yourself and accepting people for who they are. You’re the kindest person I know.”

“Fuck being kind, where has it gotten me?” I sighed.

I jerked away from him, my sadness transforming into anger.

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