Page 70 of Inception

I wasn’t sure what was worse; the fact that he didn’t want me in his life, or that it was hurting me so much to hear it.

“You need to tell my father you’re quitting All Saints,” he went on as though he hadn’t just sliced me open with his words. “The sooner you do it, the better.”

“I don’tneedto do anything,” I snapped back, angry at his audacity. “Where do you get off coming here and demanding I quit my job?”

“That’s not what I’m doing.”

“Isn’t it?” I didn’t understand what this was about or why it even mattered to him if I stuck around at All Saints or not. There had to be more to this. Something orsomeoneelse behind it. “Is this about Nikki?”

“Nikki?” His tone matched the confusion in his eyes.

“Because you’re back together?”

“I’m not back together with Nikki,” he said wryly.

Something akin to relief coursed through my body just then, surprising me by its presence.

Why did I even care if he was with Nikki or not? Did I dislikeherso much that it gave me joy knowing she didn’t have him? It had to be that, I decided, because I wasn’t ready to entertain the alternatives.

“So if this isn’t about Nikki, why are you pushing me to quit?” I asked, still trying to make sense out of this.

He shrugged lazily. “I just figured you would, now that you know the truth.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

He arched his brow at me—a silent jab. “You didn’t think it was a coincidence that we ended up going to the same school and working at the same job, did you?”

“What are you saying?”

“Do I have to spell it out for you?”

“No, you jerk, but youcouldstop talking in riddles.”

He lifted off the desk and took a couple of steps towards me. “I’m saying that it was a setup,” he said huskily, closing the distance between us. “To get us together—”

“Together?”

“—But since we all know that’s not going to happen,” he continued, his eyes flicking down to my parted lips. “There’s really no need for you to be working there anymore, is there?”

My heart was pounding hard against my rib cage, though I had no idea why. There was something about the way he looked down at my mouth that made my pulse go mad.

I took a step back as I tried to get my wits together. There were too many emotions surging, too many questions.

“I don’t understand. Why would they want to” —I paused, wetting my lips— “get us together?”

“Use your imagination,” he said, cocking his head to the side.

When my cheeks flushed red, he narrowed his eyes and shook his head as though he knew where my mind had gone.

“They were trying to manipulate the situation to get to me, so that I’d cave and resume my duties as a Keeper.”

“Using me as the bait?”

“Something like that.”

I choked out a laugh. Hopefully they had a backup plan.

“So when you say ‘resume your duties’, does that mean you’re not working for the Order anymore?” I asked, trying to digest this new piece of information. At least this would explain why he had been refusing to train with me. “Can you even do that—quit?”

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