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“Yes, it is. The Games is one thing—entering has always been the plan. Having Harlow in it is my fault. I was selfish and short sighted and couldn’t keep myself away from her, and now I have to watch her prepare and fight grown men as my punishment. It’s driving me insane,” I admit, pushing my hair back from my eyes.
“She’s distracting you,” he states.
“Not in the way you think. She’s on my mind twenty-four seven, no matter where she is, but not being with her is torture. I hate that she’s in this because of me, and I can’t even comfort her, reassure her.” I want to know that she won’t hate me forever. That she can understand. Except I don’t deserve that from her.
“Would that help?”
“Of course it would. I need her to talk to me... I need to know she’s doing okay.” I might not be able to change the situation, and damn right am I going to fight to win this either way, but not being able to tell her this fucking sucks. I sigh, throwing my head back against my chair. “I don’t know why I’m whining about this, forget it. There’s no way around it but through, right?”
“Right.” He stands to leave, and when he pulls the door open, Clara is walking up to it. “Clara, what are you doing here?”
“I just came to talk to Nico.” He nods and lets her through, pulling the door closed after him as he leaves. “What’s up with you?” she asks, taking in my sullen expression, and I sigh.
“Doesn’t matter. You heading back over to the house?” The deal is she can train but she’s not to hang around—she goes back to the house on the other side of the compound if she doesn’t have a session.
“Yep, just came to say bye. Oh, and to tell you I met Harlow earlier.” Just the mention of her name makes my heart rate pick up.
“You met her before,” I remind her.
“Barely. I got to actually speak to her this time.”
“And?”
“AndI’m hoping we can be friends...”
“No.”
“Nico—”
“No, Clara. You’re not here to make friends; you’re here to keep busy. Harlow doesn’t need to be ingrained into this family any more than she already is. I know you’re looking for someone to spend your time with here, but not her.” How hypocritical of me. That’s all I want to do, and I’m depriving my sister of the very same, but as if I need another reason for my father to be keeping a close eye on Harlow.
“Then who? If you hadn’t noticed, she’s the only other woman here.”
“I fucking noticed.”
“I don’t know what it is about the men in this family thinking they get to tell everyone what they can and cannot do,” Clara growls, “but I’m getting really damn sick of it.”
She stands and storms to the door, slamming it behind her.
Great, another person I’ve pissed off.
Good going, Nico.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Ezra
“You don’t have to antagonize him,” Harlow says softly as she watches Nico storm off.
“He doesn’t have to be an asshole.”
I sit up next to her, my arms around my knees while she’s cross-legged.
“I think that’s just him,” she mumbles sadly.
“You actually think that?”
I didn’t know Nico nearly as well as she did, so I’m inclined to believe maybe this is the real him, but I didn’t think she would. Harlow shrugs in answer, standing up and brushing herself off just as Sawyer joins us, his sparring partner heading to the changing rooms.
