Page 35 of Echoes

My whole body freezes, unsure if I heard him correctly.

"What?" I mumble stupidly.

Grey laughs quietly, making me nervous. "He came and saw us at dinner—asked if we had seen you."

"Wait," I stop him. "He approached you?"

I've never seen Theo approach, well,anyone—let alone Grey and Damon.

"Yep," he confirms. "Said you'd been missing all day. Once I confirmed you were missing from class too, we realized where you were."

"What do you mean?" I ask, confused.

Grey shuffles backwards on the bed, resting his back against the wall. "I sent Damon to check it out. Connor told us you were in Arthur's office."

"Who the hell is Connor?"

"One of the guards," he replies casually. "Anyway, Ashwood expressed…concernthat you likely hadn't been provided with food."

I have no idea how to take any of this. Grey and Theo interacting, worried about me starving, and now this late night encounter.

Pushing the empty plate away, I reposition myself against the wall next to Grey. "So, you brought me food?"

"Everyone needs to eat," he says quietly, but I know it's a deflection.

"Thank you. It means a lot."

"I should leave now," Grey mutters, starting to move.

I quickly grab his hand through the dark. "Wait."

He stills, fist curling under my palm. "Please, don't. I already know what you are going to say."

"You don't," I quickly reply. "I'm not going to stop you from leaving. I just wanted to say thank you again. And maybe," I pause. "Maybe we can be friends. Or at least be civil. We don't have to make things awkward."

Grey stays soundless, and it's that familiar silence before the inevitable heartbreak that I once again recognize.

"I can't be friends with you."

I know what he's going to say, but I want to fight him. No—I need to fight him on this.

My other hand reaches out, finding his face. I cup his cheek, envisioning his face in my mind.

"Don't just be friends with me then. Don't stay away from me. Please—I need you."

He moves so quickly, so stealthily, that by the time I've processed it, I'm already on my back. Grey leans over the top of me, face inches away from mine.

"I can't watch you be with someone else, little killer. It makes me want to kill him."

He should scare me. Everything about this should set off alarm bells, but they don't. I know him—I trust him.

"Grey—"

"Theonlyreason I haven't killed him is because of you."

His lips brush over mine for the smallest fraction of time. Not a kiss, but not accidental either. There's something pulling us together, and I can feel him fighting it.

"I still love you," I whisper.

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