Kael
The words had caught Nadia off-guard. That much was clear in the flutter of her stare, in the shift of her lips as she opened and closed them—searching for the right words. Sleep hung onto the droop of her eyelids and pressed itself into the bruises under her eyes, but none of it masked the surprise that rolled across her features.
“I thought a man like you would never say thank you,” said Nadia, her voice rough with sleep. Rubbing her eyes, the girl pushed herself up in bed. She drew her knees to her chest, the quilt a tangled mess in her lap. “Was it hard? Getting the words out?”
“I’m not that arrogant.” Kael glared, but there was no real heat to it. Not after everything she did last night.
Memories of yesterday crammed themselves back into Kael’s head.
The anniversary of hi
