He turns to me, I try turning my face away, but—
No no no no no no
Arkane hauls me into his arms, and his embrace is the worst possible cage because it’s the kind that I want to be imprisoned in forever.
God, I really am an idiot, aren’t I?
He tucks my head under his chin. His arms tighten around me. His chest is rising and falling fast against my cheek from the running, and I can hear his heart going hard, and then he starts to speak—
“I get why you don’t want to look at me.”
—and he’s just so, so unfair.
Why does he keep saying things that make it hard for me to forget I’m not the only one who’s hurting?
“And I know I’m asking for something I don’t deserve to ask...because it’s something I refused to do before. But I’m asking you all the same. Will you listen to me?”
I shake my head against his chest even though we both know it’s for show.
This close, trapped in a hackney that won’t stop for a thousand dollars, I’m as good as his slave, and so if he wants me to listen—
The hackney rattles over a rougher patch of cobble, and his arms tighten to keep me from being jostled, and he doesn’t even seem to notice that he’s done it.
“You’ve got your stories crossed.”
I’ll listen...even if he’s not making sense.
“Sometimes, it’s the other way around. And princes—”
No no no no no.
“Especially princes like me who was so damn desperate not to make a mistake—”
I don’t want to hear him talk about that.
“That when I did end up making another one, I just couldn’t let it go.”
I try shoving out of his embrace, but it’s no use. His arms are bands.
“So this sequel?”
I can’t bear hearing Arkane talking about things that matter to me matter to him, too—
“Princes can turn into frogs when they hurt the girl they love.”
Can’t bear hearing him talk like I still matter.
“And I love you.”
No no no no no no.
“Always did, always will—”
He finally lets go, but it’s only so he can torture me some more, his large hands cupping my face as he makes me look into his eyes that never ever lie—
“Will you forgive me, Tiara?”
“I do,” I choke out. “But it’s not—”