“I never wanted this,” I tell him, swallowing hard as my mouth goes dry. “Never wanted any of you to do something like this for me. You, Nico, Killian—you were supposed to be temporary. An alliance of convenience.” My fingernails dig into my palms hard enough to leave marks. “This thing between us… it was supposed to be—” “Say it was nothing, vicious.” Atlas’s voice cuts through mine, sharp and clear even though I know he’s tired and hurting.
