Page 281 of Split or Swallow
She wanted to tell him what his father had done to Evelyn. But it wasn’t time. Leo was still so angry with her. He wasn’t ready, and neither was she.
Tem attempted to distill their conversation into something Leo could digest:
“He thinks I’m not good enough for you.”
Leo’s expression softened almost imperceptibly.
“Well,” he murmured. “He is wrong.”
A moment passed. His expression hardened again.
“Has he spoken to you today?”
Tem knew he was referring to Caspen. She decided to be honest:
“Yes.”
Leo nodded, his jaw tightening. She expected him to walk away, but he stayed where he was.
“What did he say?”
Tem hesitated. She certainly couldn’t tell Leo about Kronos. Instead, she said:
“We’re in a fight.”
Leo raised his eyebrows.
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“What sort of fight?”
Tem didn’t answer.
“Well,” Leo said slowly. “I hope you two can resolve it.”
“You do?”
To her surprise, Leo let out a dull laugh.
“Yes. I do.”
“Why? I would think you’d want us to fight.”
Leo scoffed, as if the answer was obvious.
“A race won by default is no true victory, Tem.”
“I’m a person, Leo. Not a prize.”
He stepped closer, and she sensed his energy.
“I know you’re a person. A person who is capable of making choices. I want you to choose me because you want me, Tem. Not because you’re in a fight with him.”
With that, he walked away.
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
