Page 116 of Knight

"Mylife." The words taste bitter. "You mean pretend none of this happened?"

"Nothinghashappened." He faces me now, his expression blank. "Unless you count bad decisions and worse timing."

I search his face, desperate for even a flicker of the man who trusted me hours ago, but he’s buried whateverthatwas beneath layers of icy sarcasm.

"You don't mean that."

"I do. Bishop will drive you both home when you're ready."

Footsteps cross the hardwood floor as Rook returns from his perimeter check, unaware of the implosion happening in this room.

"At least tell me why." My voice wavers, a quiet plea slipping through despite my attempt to stay composed. "What changed between last night and now?"

"Nothingchanged." His voice is sharp enough to cut. "This is who I am. You just fooled yourself into thinking it was something else."

"That’s not true." I step closer, desperate to break through the icy veneer. "The man who held me, who let me in, that wasreal. You can’t fake that."

"It wasn’t." His voice turns ruthless. "You can’t really think I’m some broken hero with a soft side you can fix? Wake up, Glitch.” His lip curls. “You saw what you wanted to see."

My throat tightens, but I refuse to let him see how much he’s hurting me. "Then look me in the eye and tell me you felt nothing. Tell me every second we shared was a lie."

"Pack your things.” He drops into the chair I slept in. “Go back to the world you had before all this started."

"Knight, please." My voice breaks, but he doesn’t react. "Don’t push me away like this."

His hand moves, gripping the edge of the chair like it’s the only thing holding him in place. His face twists, not quite regret, more like anger tangled with something else. Then it’s gone, his expression locking down like a steel trap.

"It’s better this way. You want to be safe. You want a normal life. I’m not it."

The silence stretches, heavy and suffocating, as his words settle between us. The warmth, the connection, the possibility of more, it’s all slipping through my fingers like sand, gone in the space of a single conversation.

Muted voices and the faint clink of mugs drift in from the kitchen, indifferent to the chaos unraveling in here.

I force myself to walk out of the room, my legs shaking as I grip the door frame for balance. The distance feels both necessary and unbearable, but I can’t stay and let him see the cracks forming. The medical supplies lie abandoned on the nightstand, a stark reminder of something I can’t fix, someone I can’t reach.

Maybe thisiswho he really is. A man who builds walls so high even he can’t see over them. Maybe I mistook the sharp edges and sarcasm for walls hiding emotions instead of weapons designed to cut.

But I can't quite make myself believe that. Can't forget how he touched me, how he trusted me, how he let me see past his defenses for those brief, precious moments.

Later, I’ll let the anger come. I’ll dissect every moment, every word, trying to understand where it all unraveled. But not now.

Right now I just have to breathe. Have to put one foot in front of the other. Have to figure out how to exist in a world where Knight's walls are back up, stronger than ever.

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE

Knight

Eva's footstepsfade down the hallway, leaving me alone. I stay where I am, muscles locked as if moving might shatter whatever fragile control I have left. The stitches in my shoulder and side burn like they’re being ripped apart, each pulse a brutal reminder of just how fucked I am.

She’s gone. Just like I made sure she would be.

This is what I wanted. What I needed.

So why does it feel like I’ve driven a blade into my own chest and twisted?

The chair creaks as I lean back, trying to ease the pull on my injuries. I'm not alone for long. Bishop's shadow fills the doorway.

“You’re really doing this then?”

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