Nadia
Kael stared at me with increasing confusion and concern as I cackled at him. In a seemingly unconscious movement, he reached out as if to calm me, but I slapped his hand away.
Clutching my ribs, wheezing for breath, I spat out, “f**k you, Kael Thorne.”
He actually stumbled back as if I’d hit him. His green eyes went all wide and wet, like a sad puppy. I refused to be moved.
“f**k you,” I repeated. It felt good to say – very good. “I don’t accept that. I don’t accept any of your so-called explanations.”
I took a deep breath, drawing myself up to my full height. It wasn’t much compared to Kael’s frame, but there must have been something intimidating in the way I looked, because Kael shrank down as though I towered over him.
“Did you, even for one second, consider telling
