Page 54 of Lies That Bind
I frowned. What other bad was there? We’d had the attack on the training campus, my father died, Nikhil died…
“Is there more bad coming?” I asked him.
He looked up at me, sad, and nodded. “You have no idea.”
I stopped playing the game, instead hugging my arms to my chest. “Tell me.”
He stepped away from the table, getting off his chair to kneel before me. He grasped both sides of my face. “We don’t have much time left together. I want our last days to be nice.”
Shock ripped through me. “Last days,” I croaked. Why didn’t we have much time together? What was happening?
He seemed to catch on to what I was thinking and shook his head. “Neither of us dies. But… oh, there are so many things I wish I could tell you. So many things I wish you would just trust me about and take my word for.”
I frowned. “Like what? I do trust you.” I did. As much as I fought that before, I did trust Kohen. He’d earned it.
He chewed on his lip. “Like about your father.”
It felt like ice water had been poured into my veins. “What about my father?!” I snapped.
Kohen sighed, watching me as if I were a coiled snake. Leaning forward, he captured my mouth in a kiss, disarming meimmediately. My entire body warmed to his touch, and I parted my lips, letting his tongue spread across mine. I moaned, biting on his bottom lip, and he pulled away panting.
“Same time tomorrow night?” he asked. “We can finish the game.” He motioned to the chess match he was winning.
How could I say no to him? To that kiss?
I wanted to know what he was talking about with my father and what bad was coming. But I also didn’t. I just wanted to freeze time and keep him and me just like this.
I nodded and got up to follow him out. Opening the door, I scouted the hall, telling him it was safe. Then he ran out like he was never here.
Chapter
Thirteen
“You brat!” Anika playfully growled at Tetra, who had just thrown some chalk powder at her. I slipped into the gym where they were working out, and they both greeted me.
“She cheats,” Anika exclaimed, but she was smiling.
Tetra rolled her eyes. “It’s called playing every advantage you have.”
I liked seeing them close like this, especially for Tetra’s benefit, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I was a little jealous. I hadn’t spent much time with my bestie since my father died.
“I had time between meetings. Thought I would say hi.” Our training was still paused as the bombs rocked the base outside, and I was in near constant strategy meetings.
“I’ve got mess hall duty.” Anika spit out her tongue. “I’ll see you guys later?”
Tetra nodded, and so did I. Anika grabbed her gym bag and left.
It was just Tetra and I in the small workout room. My bestie hobbled over to sit next to me on the bench press.
“Hey, friend.” She gave me a small smile, and I knew that she knew I needed to talk.
“Hey,” I offered.
“It’s been a crazy week,” she said.
I nodded, swallowing hard. I was having trouble processing everything that had happened in the last week. It was too much, and I knew this would be my life now, a constant barrage of trauma to process.
“How are you and Dev?” I needed some good news, and when her face broke into a sheepish grin, I knew I’d get it.
