He hadn’t spoken to her after they left the tunnels. Instead, he’d walked out the door and gone to stand by the lake.
Sahira came to stand beside her. “How could you not tell me about what was going on below?”
Lexi had known this was coming, but she still wasn’t ready to deal with it. “I was trying to protect you.”
“I’mthe one who is supposed to be protectingyou.”
“I’m not a child anymore. I don’t need protecting.”
“And neither do I. We’re in this together, Lexi. We’re all we have left of our family, and I can’t lose that.”
She braced herself to look at her aunt, who stared back at her with a desperation that tore at Lexi’s heart. “I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you or anyone else; I just… I… I couldn’t turn them away.”
“I understand, but you still should have told me.”
“How mad are you?”
“I’m not mad; I’m sad you didn’t think you could trust me.”
Those words were a knife to her heart. “I trust you, but I was trying to keep you safe.”
“I understand. From now on, no more secrets.”
“No more secrets,” Lexi promised.
Sahira squeezed Lexi’s hand before kissing her cheek. “I have to go pack.”
“Are you sure about this?” Lexi asked.
“Yes.”
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I’ll be fine.”
When Sahira walked away, Lexi focused her attention on Cole again. It was a few minutes before Brokk came to stand beside her.
“Do you hate me too?” she asked.
“Not at all,” Brokk replied. “I consider you a friend, but I wouldn’t have trusted you with the secret of those tunnels either.”
Lexi tore her attention away from Cole to focus on Brokk as he leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest.
“You helped save my life, Lexi, and you saved Orin’s,” Brokk continued. “And as much as I hate him, I also love him.”
“I get that.”
“You did what you felt was right, and my brother has a way of bending others to his will.”
“I’m not completely naïve. I know he was trying to manipulate me when he brought the refugees here, but I decided to help becauseIwanted to.”
“I understand.” He shifted his attention to Cole and nodded his chin at him. “Are you going out there?”
“I don’t think he wants to talk to me.”
“He does.”
“He accused me of sleeping with Orin.”
