Page 14 of Us Defiant Few

“About what?”

“That you’d let me starve.” Her eyes met his. “Even when you hated me, the Takeshi I know wouldn’t do something like that.”

Takeshi let the apple fall to the floor, and it rolled halfway between them. But his focus remained on her.

He leaned forward, intentionally slow. “It must be difficult. Craving a man who doesn’t exist.”

“Stop,” she snapped, her grip on the fork tightening. “I don’t want to hear it.”

“I’ll make you a deal. Come closer and I’ll tell you all my thoughts.” His upper lip imperceptibly curved.

“I’ll stay over here, thank you.”

“Pity.” He clicked his tongue, leaning back. “You’re not as stupid as you look.”

Oh no. Her decision-making was questionable on the best of days.

But he didn’t need to know that.

“Maybe I just know you’re lying and have a bigger heart than you let people see.”

“Or maybe you just don’t know when to give up, Kanes.”

Her eyes widened at the familiar words, the food forgotten in front of her.

“What did you just say?”

Her name. He used her last name.

Her heart fluttered like it was ready to burst and take flight.

A muscle in his jaw tensed at whatever expression shone on her face. “What?”

“You said my last name.”

“So?”

“That’s what you used to call me.” She straightened, unable to keep the desperation leaking from her voice. “Do you remember now?”

“You said that was your last name earlier. Wipe that pathetic look off your face.”

“But you said I don’t know when to give up!”

Takeshi stared at her like she’d grown several heads. “Yeah…has no one ever told you that?”

Yes. You did.

Khalani’s lungs were barely operating. She clenched the plastic fork so tight, it was about to snap. But one look at Takeshi’s blank expression told her that he still didn’t possess a single memory of her.

Tears burned behind her eyes, and she blinked rapidly to shove them back.

“Just forget about it.” Khalani swallowed, using all the strength she possessed to keep it together. She managed to take a bite of the meat, but it was flavorless.

With each passing moment, she felt emptier than the last.

She went for another bite but realized that the apple Takeshi dropped lay just out of reach. But he didn’t seem to care. He rested an elbow on his knee, watching her with an even deeper frown.

Despite everything, Khalani wished she could sink into his mind and see if the remnants of her still remained.