Zach pushed Lukas away from him, keeping an arm raised to keep the distance between them. They made eye contact. Zach was quick to look away, not wanting Lukas to see the tears burning the edges of his eyes. “You made me need you.”
“Is that really such a bad thing? Needing people isn’t a crime, Zach.”
“You made me need you,” Zach repeated, his words filled with venom and loathing. “And then you lied to me.”
In the corner of his eye Zach watched Lukas stumble back. Zach took the opportunity to blink back the tears and recover his steely expression.
“Zach-”
“When were you going to tell me?” He looked up at Lukas, the picture of innocence. “Axel may have given the order but you took advantage!”
“I didn’t-”
Zach laughed. Under different circumstances he would have sounded crazy even to himself. “You honestly expect me to believe you didn’t know? A boy shows up at your door, bleeding and broken by another man’s hands and you think he’s just going to throw himself at the next available body?”
“No, Zach, please listen to me.” Lukas inched forward. Zach didn’t know whether out of stupidity or desperation, maybe both. Regardless, his magic ignited in the palm of his hand and Lyra formed between them baring her teeth at Lukas.
“I’m done listening, and I’m done with you.”
