Page 29 of Us Defiant Few

He shook his head, staring at the ground as if it could save him from the turmoil.

“Takeshi!” she screamed. “Look at me.”

He finally did.

His gaze bore into her, and the agony within was so haunting, she had to blink back her own tears.

“Please,” she pleaded. “Tell me what I can do to fix this.”

Takeshi turned away, snatching his hand back.

“You can leave me alone.”

“I’m only trying to help!”

“I don’t want your fucking help.”

“Why not?” Her chin quivered.

“Because it hurts more when I look at you!”

Raw anguish dripped from every word he spat.

His breaths quickened, like he was on the edge of losing control and throwing her out of the room. Khalani’s gaze flickered to Jericho, and his hand rested on his gun, but he made no further movement.

She didn’t know what to do. The chasm between Takeshi and her was so vast, jumping the distance seemed impossible.

But maybe she could build a bridge.

“I lost something, too.”

At her words, the outright loathing in his expression faded but his muscles remained tense. She didn’t think he’d break the silence, but after a minute, he spoke.

“What did you lose?” he bit out.

“Someone really important,” she whispered. “I was alone for so long. I used to think about ending my life.”

Takeshi’s frown deepened, but she kept going.

“I thought that maybe in death, someone would value my life. But that someone was always…faceless. The truth is, I had no one left to mourn me.”

A muscle in his jaw jumped and he glanced away, like he didn’t quite understand why her words made him so angry.

“But then, I met someone who showed me just how strong I was. That I was worth more than the bad things happening to me. And if the world still wanted me to die, then I could make living my rebellion.”

“What happened to this person?”

“He doesn’t know me anymore.” She wrapped her knees closer to her chest. “We might as well be strangers.”

“Do you still think about ending it all?” He studied her closely. “To get rid of the pain?”

“No,” she answered honestly. “I’ve learned that if life smacks you in the face, you kick back even harder. You never let the bad win.”

He tilted his head, taking renewed interest at the obstinance staring back at him.

“You can’t give up either,” she added, praying that of all things he remembered, it was that. She’d rather be a stranger to Takeshi and watch from afar than for him to remember, but lose himself.

“I do recognize you,” he whispered.