“Love you.”
My stomach flutters, dips, and dances. “Reallynot helping.” Pressing myself back against the counter, I look up at him and find whatever scraps of air I can as I scan his infuriatingly cocky expression and his white pj’s. “Whydo I even… I mean, you’re…What?”
“This is actually the best thing I’ve ever witnessed in my life.”
“What in the world do I see in you?” I blurt.
“Nothing, I’m sure. It’s all probably the several years of careful psychological attacks, subliminal messaging, and determined conning.”
I blink. “Huh?”
“I’ve tried all sorts of things to manipulate you into falling for me. At this point, it’s nearly safe to say it’s occurred against your will.”
“D…”
“Hm?”
“Don’t say that.”
He tilts his face in front of mine. “Is it not true? Do you not believe it to be true?”
“I hated you.Hatedyou.” I grip the counter, cold granite against my skin. “If you were manipulating me into falling for you, you did a really, really bad job for a really, really long time.”
“Au contraire, I have mercifully been allowed to cultivate exactly the kind of love I crave. An enemies-to-lovers kind. Given my unfortunate personality, anything less than hatred shifting to adoration may not have lasted. You’d have fallenpathetically and gotten over it once I screwed up. Now, however… Tell me, what could I possibly do wrong that would change your mind?”
My voice breaks. “You’re…”
“A monster? Yes. You knew that already. Because I’ve showed you. Consistently.”
I…can’t believe this. “You mean…you’ve calculated everything?”
“More or less. Some things didn’t go to plan, but I personally took that as an opportunity to create a better plan.”
“But…”
“Even Junction was part of the plan. You’re welcome to have a look at his, or rather my, burner if you’d like. It’s in my bedside drawer.” He cups his hand to his mouth, covering his smile in a cage. “The night ‘he’ approached you, you were supposed to run into my arms, but—as I said—this truly has become the better plan.”
My shoulders slump, and I stand there, cold and stunned. He’s not serious. But of course he is. He hired people to pretend to hire me to assassinate him. He knew the entire time. He risked his life.
For me.
Because…because…because…
He’s insane.
Actually, completely, and utterlyinsane.
“To what end?” I whisper. “Will you have mercy enough to tell me now?”
“I suppose.” He runs his knuckle over his lips, taking me in like a drug. “You have been such a good patient little toy, haven’t you? I can owe you an explanation now after you’ve done so well in my game.”
My heart pinches, and I lower my gaze.
“It’s because it’s always been obvious, how you are.”
Weak. Pathetic. Frightened. Anxious.Easy to hurt.
Here it is.
