Chapter 41
Kael's POV
The silence between us stretched longer than expected after her words settled in my chest.
I don't think you're heartless.
Nobody had ever said something like that to me before. Not genuinely. Not while knowing the truth.
Most people either feared me or tolerated me because they had no choice. The rest simply pretended to respect me while secretly waiting for me to fail. That was how things had always been, and after years of living that way, I stopped expecting anything different from anyone.
But Tori?
She kept ruining every idea I had about her.
The cold wind brushed against us again while I tried forcing my breathing back to normal. My chest still hurt slightly from the panic attack, though not as badly as before. The shaking in my hands had eased too, but embarrassment still sat heavily inside me.
I hated that she saw me like that.
Weak.
Vulnerable.
Human.
