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“You didn’t need to wait up for me,” Alek added with a sigh.
“Yes,” Wrath paused and looked at me. “I did.”
Flaming hot embarrassment flushed my cheeks. I was not a child that needed to be taken care of. I was not irrational or upset over some small romantic incident. I did not need consoling.
I just closed the damn veil to the other side.
And Alek ran away.
I had cause to worry.
But looking at him now…
It was easy to forget about how angry I was. It was easy to forget the absolute hell he’d just put me through.
Just by looking at him, with this messy hair and his dirty jacket, I wanted to forget all of it.
My throat burned. Tears threatened my eyes as I stared there, looking at him. “I’m tired, too,” I mumbled quickly before turning on my heel and stomping up the stairs.
“Lyra, wait!” Alek called after me.
I didn’t turn around; I couldn't. I didn’t want him to see the tears that streamed down my face, the emotions I could no longer hold back.
The fear, the betrayal, the anger, the relief. All of it washed over me at once, the dam breaking and pouring out everything I had been feeling for the last day.
I stormed into Alek’s bedroom—our bedroom—and slammed the door before turning and pressing my back against the wall.
Get it together, Lyra. You can’t lose it like this. You can’t be strong for everyone except him.
Fuck. I thought I had lost him tonight. I really, truly thought I lost him.
I no longer had the energy to pretend like I wasn’t completely terrified by the sight of him running away—running from me.
Tears fell and fell and fell in uncontrollable waves.
The door cracked open.
“Lyra,” Alek said softly, poking his head inside. “Can I come in?”
I couldn’t answer. My legs gave out, and I slid down the wall, only inches away from the door, inches away from him. The sobs came next, threatening to break me entirely by the sound of them alone. Blood rushed to my ears, to my face, making everything hot.
And then Alek was moving inside, shutting the door softly behind him and kneeling in front of me. “Lyra,” he whispered. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and let my head fall back onto the wall.
I couldn’t tell him. Of course, I couldn’t fucking tell him. Even if it were possible to get the words out, even if it were possible to explain how absolutely terrified I had just been, how would I make him understand?
“You left,” I managed to get out between sobs. My voice was not my own. No, this was weak and breakable and cracked. “You left me.”
“I know,” he breathed, visibly swallowing. “I’m sorry, Ly, I didn’t—I wasn’t thinking.”
His hands hovered just above me, inches from my skin. I knew he was waiting for me to tell him it was all okay, that we could forget about whatever the hell happened after that damn ritual tonight and move on with our lives.
But I couldn’t.
“Where were you?” I whispered, my voice shaking even worse than my trembling body. “Where were you, Alek?”
Alek cracked and bled, and any remaining ounce of self-restraint vanished as soon as the words left my lips. “I’m here now,” he answered. “I’m here now, and I’m never leaving again.”
