Nicholas shook his head. “I’m protective of you and Elva. Those instincts have nothing to do with

whether or not I trust you.”

I wanted to believe that, but if it was true, then why did he hesitate?

“I’ve been alone a long time, and I’ve gotten by just fine.” The words emerge from a place of hurt. He cut

me by not trusting me. How did he think I had survived these past three years?

what to keep you

“Is it so wrong for me to safe?” Nicholas’s brow crinkled in confusion. His frown was

heavy set.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

I placed a hand over my aching heart. “Because you won’t be with me forever, Nick. If I get used to your

enough to let myself relax, how will I ever go back

and self–sustaining so that when this fantasy ends, I can continue on with my life.”

shifted into a scrunched up sort of pain. Sorrow darkened his

bitter tone of his voice

us, and we’d made our

dream that someday I would have to wake up from. Nicholas, however, was stuck here, forced

not love to fulfill his parents‘

lowered his voice then, barely a whisper. “But while you are here,

don’t need

it, Piper. I’m giving it to you because

I wasn’t thrilled with his reasoning, but I couldn’t tell him what

hurt me, he

do was think of a way that I could convince him and myself that I

able to look out for myself and for

Ineade

be w

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