Chapter 162: Break Up
When Elias said that, confusion filled his eyes.
He looked like a newborn deer staring at the hunter who had hurt him, unable to understand why that same hunter had suddenly reached out with gentle hands.
Serena pressed her vivid red lips together.
She seemed about to say something, maybe an explanation. In the end, she stopped herself.
She had promised to listen until he finished.
Elias noticed that tiny movement and let out a very soft laugh.
"See? That's exactly it," he said. "That sudden tenderness. It makes me think maybe you aren't as bad as I thought."
It was like a few thin threads of light appearing in the dark. The place was still black. Still damp and airless. But that small brightness gave a person a reason to keep going, to wait for the next bit of light, even if they had no idea when it would come.
"Later, you really did treat me a little better," Elias continued. "And somehow, I actually felt grateful."
