Page 9 of Distant Heart

“Good Light.” Rex didn’t know why, but the crass way he spoke caught him off guard.

“It’s not a hard question. Or can you not remember? Maybe you got drunk one night recently and—”

“Last week.” He shoved Illya away. “With a toy, and I was sober.”

Illya seemed far too pleased with that reply, moving to take another shot with a grin. When he—unsurprisingly—sent another ball into a pocket, he straightened and cocked his head. “Would you like me to keep going? We can count up all of the shots and I can ask you the questions all at once at the end?”

“What’s the point of the game if you aren’t even going to let me have a turn?” Not that Rexton wanted one. He just didn’t want to feel like he had no real part in this. Even if getting out of this unscathed was a lie he was telling himself, he wanted that lie. Wanted to hold onto the belief that he could prolong the inevitable.

Because it was inevitable. If someone like Illya had taken an interest in him, there was nothing he could do aside from escaping campus to get away. The rules of Praeda were clear in that regard. Only those on Sacrum Cor Hart grounds were allowed to be targeted.

“You signed a waiver at the door, or has that slipped your recollection?” Illya suddenly asked, and when Rex frowned, hesighed. “There are guards patrolling all of the exits. Once you’ve entered, you’re allowed to go anywhere so long as you don’t step foot off—”

“I didn’t even say anything about that,” Rexton stopped him, mostly because it was unnerving how the other guy had somehow read his mind. Clearing his throat, his hands tightened around the pool stick he was holding and he motioned toward the table with his chin. “In any case, that counts as your question. Go again.”

Instead of arguing, Illya laughed. “You have to answer in order for the round to be completed.”

“Yes,” he sneered, “I do remember signing your damn waiver. Can you go now so we can get this over with?”

“Eager to move on to the next game?”

When all Rexton did was stare, Illya rounded the table and took another shot.

The seven ball went sailing into a corner pocket.

“Do you have any siblings?” Illya asked.

The tame question caught Rexton by surprise, and for a moment he stood there dumbly before his brain processed what he was doing. “No. Do you?”

“Yes. My brother is three years younger than me, and our sister is a year younger than him.” Illya pointed the end of his stick at Rexton’s chest. “I’ll give you that one for free.”

He stepped back. “Why?”

“I like that you showed an interest in me.” Illya shrugged and then took another shot, only this time he missed.

Rexton’s eyes narrowed. “You did that on purpose.”

“Aren’t you the one who complained about not getting to play?” He clucked his tongue. “Work with me here. You’re really hard to please, aren’t you?”

“I don’t have to answer that.” Not that it was an actual question, but still. Stubbornly, Rex moved to line up with the cueball. Back home, he spent a lot of time at the bar with his friends, so he was confident he could make at least a couple of shots. He pocketed one and then smugly glanced over at the Black Hart.

There were a million and one safe questions he could ask, but not a single one of them were things he really wanted an answer to. Taking a second to internally debate with himself, Rexton found his resolve to play things cool slipping.

“Why are you interested in me?” He didn’t like the way his voice dipped, the uncertainty ringing so clearly in his tone, it was a wonder he didn’t wince from embarrassment.

But Illya didn’t act like it was an embarrassing thing to ask. Didn’t seem to be judging him for his moment of self-doubt.

And Rexton liked that far too much.

Chapter 4:

The insecurity coming off of Rexton confused Illya. Surely the other man understood how attractive he was?

“Did you think I’d leave you to one of the other Black Harts?” Illya didn’t like the idea.

“I don’t think any of them would be interested in me,” Rexton countered.

“It’s Praeda,” he reminded. “Everyone is after the best of the best. Do I need to pull out a mirror for you, baby?”

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