Page 150 of The Order

“To think I was going for you,” I whisper, her mouth dropping at my response.

Fallan’s mouth curls into a smile. Aaron’s eyes widen at the statement. Looking over her face, her cheeks begin to redden. Her reaction to my touch is all the evidence I need to prove why she’s been so cold towards me.

“She has a crush?”It questions, a tiny lick of satisfaction working over me.

Valerie is lost for words. My hands fall from her face. Giving the boys one last look, I grab my bag, lingering near Fallan, ready for any snide remarks. Valerie stands still, her hands clenched together.

“I will see you all tonight,” I say, watching Fallan cross his arms.

Turning toward the exit, the group begins to whisper. Aaron teases Valerie, nudging her arm while she stands transfixed, an unamused look on her face.

“Did you do that to prove a point?”Fallan questions silently, my smile growing.

“Depends… did it work?”I question, a hint of his amusement passing through the connection.

“Don’t get any more bright ideas, Little Dove.”

There are two things, and only two things I know for sure.

One:

It’s not just my people Fallan is scared of. Something happened to him, leaving behind scars that remind him to be afraid.

And Two:

My feelings for Fallan are deeper than I could have imagined… and I think these feelings have been there all along.

Chapter forty-eight

Forest

“Soit'saparty?”Kai asks, his hands violently scrubbing away at his hair, doing his best to dry the mane on his head.

He steps away from our bathroom, dressed in a gray shirt and flannel paired together to push out the brisk cold. I wear a black sweater, my legs tucked away into a pair of gray cargo pants that make me look much taller than I am. Moving around his room, he thinks about the invitation to the bonfire, nudging his backpack free from beneath his dresser. Like me, he's abandoned the idea of utilizing it for just school work, carrying whatever he can to the Unfortunate sector in it instead.

“Think of it as a way for Hunter to show us another side of their sector.”

He eyes me down, rummaging through his belongings.

“And Hunter invited you? Not Fallan?” he questions, trying his best to figure out the dynamic between us.

“Hunter invitedus.I think he cared more about you showing face than me,” I admit. Kai’s body goes rigid at the remark.

“I don't know why he would care,” Kai mumbles, shielding his face from me.

I tighten the sheath of my blade to my side, keeping it concealed under the sweater. These days, all I need is one blade. My mind's strength gives me enough advantage to do the rest.

“He cares because, for some reason, he thinks you're the better of the two of us,” I say sarcastically, nudging Kai with a smile.

He loosens up a little, finally looking at me with a lazy grin.

“Will there be booze?”

“How else would we get through the night?”

Walking along the ward, we occasionally brush shoulders. Kai keeps pace with me, deliberating something in his mind that’s taking all of his focus. If I wanted to, I could see all that troubles him with little effort, saving us both an awkward conversation. At times, it's tempting to walk the minds of those around me. I’ve been curious to see how much of their mind is by design. False memories have a haze. They are frayed around the edges when compared to the ones I find that are real.

Kai’s brows are furrowed in frustration. My hand is inches away from his. One touch and I’d have the direct connection I need to see it all.

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