Page 134 of Between Two Kings

“It means you don’t like her. That’s what you do when you don’t like someone. You always did that when Vera talked.”

“That’s because Vera is an idiot.”

“An idiot you didn’t like.”

Tem sighed. It was impossible to argue with him when he was this drunk. “Don’t you think it’s time you went to bed?”

“Only if you come with me.”

Tem’s heart stopped beating. The air stilled around them. She knew his response was nothing but instinct—pure reflex—but that didn’t make it right.

“Leo,” Tem whispered.

He held her gaze. There was no remorse in his eyes—no regret. “Let me guess,” he said quietly. “I shouldn’t have said that.” His cheeks were flushed.

Tem wondered just how much alcohol he’d had.

“I meant it, though. And shouldn’t you say things you mean?”

“Not those things.”

“Why not? We said we wouldn’t lie to each other.”

But Tem just shook her head. That promise was from a lifetime ago.

Things were different now. They needed to lie to each other—it was the only way they could get through this impossible situation, the only way to fix everything Tem had broken. The truth wouldn’t help them anymore. Because the truth was that Tem wanted to go to bed with Leo. And if he asked one more time, she was going to do it.

Leo seemed to know this because he stepped even closer. His slender fingers found her hair, twirling the end of a curl. Tem let him do this. She shouldn’t, but she did. It felt too good not to.

“I can’t stop thinking about you, Tem.” The words were rushed, his entire body was tilted in her direction. “You’re on my mind every moment of the day. I want you all the fucking time. How can that be? How can you take up so much space in my mind?”

Tem didn’t have the answers to those questions. Especially when she had asked herself the same ones. Leo was on her mind all the time—certainly more than he should be…and certainly more than Caspen was.

“Leo,” she whispered. “Please.”

“It’s not enough to see you once a week.”

“It has to be.”

“It’s not. It never will be.” Leo’s gaze dropped to her hands. “Did it hurt?” he whispered. “The…bloodletting?”

“What do you think?”

Regret flashed over his face. He opened his mouth but Tem cut him off.

“There’s nothing you can say.”

“I can say that I’m sorry.”

Tem shrugged. “I’ve heard that before.”

Leo frowned. “What do you mean you’ve heard that before?”

“I mean this isn’t the first time an apology hasn’t fixed the hurt that was caused.”

A moment passed. “Are you talking about me? Or about him?”

The silence grew heavy.