He clears his throat, setting aside the half-empty plate. “She asked if Kitt knew about… us.” I stiffen. “Us?” “Yes, us.” Confusion crinkles his brow. “Everything going on between you and me. She saw me in your bed, Pae.” “I know, but”—I swallow before hurling the harsh truth at him—“there is no us. There can never be an us, Kai. Not really.” Silence. The words hurt, tearing ribbons of regret up my throat. I can feel the slow shattering of my heart with every day we spend pretending. And speaking the inevitability of our doom only fissures the organ further. Something shifts behind his gaze.
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