Page 118 of The Throne's Undoing

He quirked a brow. "You are so much more than that. Youcouldbe so much more than that if you just let yourself."

Kallie dropped her gaze. She had said it too many times to count, so she didn't need to waste her breath to repeat it. Graeson knew nothing. Gods, none of them did.

He sighed. "Come on, get up," Graeson said softly.

Kallie made some noncommittal noise in disagreement, for she still needed to wash herself.

His gaze scanned over her face, looking for an answer she didn't have.

She was so tired of the pitying eyes. She was tired of the silence that permeated any room she walked into, as if her mere presence was a storm that sent even the most skilled sailors scurrying away and hiding on land.

She was tired of feeling as if she had been buried alive with no way out.

She was tired of people taking a step back when she took a step forward.

Kallie tilted her head to the side as she looked at Graeson.

Unlike the others, Graeson never stepped away from her.

She lifted a hand, splaying it across his chest. She may have been in pieces, broken and discarded, but right now, she didn't care. She didn't care if she never felt whole again.

Because right now, as she ran her fingers over the polished buttons of his cotton shirt, all she wanted was to feelsomething.

Anything other than this grief that crawled over her skin and soaked into her veins.

But as Kallie made to speak, Graeson stood and disappeared out of the bathing chambers. Her hand hung in the air, quickly growing cold and limp without Graeson's warmth.

She shook her head, shooing away the thoughts inching to the surface.

Part of Kallie was thankful for the peace his leave brought, but another part of her crumbled as she watched him turn his back on her. The least he could have done was shut the door.

She closed her eyes again.

She would get up, she told herself.

Soon.

In a moment, she would wash her hair, rinse the scum from her skin, then get out of the tub. That was only three things; how hard could it be?

Seconds went by, yet she did none of that.

Then footsteps sounded outside once again.

Her eyes sprung open as Graeson reentered her bathing chambers carrying an iron bucket.

"If you insist on staying in there, you can at least do so with fresh, warm water," he said, sitting the bucket on the ground. "Do you need anything else?"

Kallie shook her head, a flush climbing up her neck. Only the sound of the water lightly hitting the sides of the tub and their breaths filled the room.

Then he turned to leave again.

"Wait," she breathed.

Graeson's steps stopped.

Silence filled the air as Kallie cursed herself for speaking. She hadn't meant to, yet the word slipped free, nevertheless.

He stared at a spot on his shoulder as if he couldn't bring himself to look at her fully. She wished he would.

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