Page 17 of Klaus

His eyes narrowed at the shrillness in my voice. “I don’t believe so, I’ve been busy. If I did, why would it be a problem for you?”

“I never said it would be.”

“You didn’t have to.”

A scream threatened to tear from my throat, one which I managed to hold back. Barely. “Please, Klaus. I know you owe me nothing. Even so, I must ask you to do something important.”

He tilted his head to the side, the setting sun’s rays turning his wet, slicked-back hair to pure gold. Except for a deep set of scars running down the side of his face, his physical beauty was near perfect. Almost distractingly so.

“What is it?”

“I must ask that you leave my affairs to me. Speak of me to no one. Spare me no special attention. There are reasons why I behave as I do, but they’re my reasons alone. Leave them that way.”

If this surprised him, he didn’t show it. His expression remained the same, inquisitive, a bit concerned. Why did he care?

I wanted to strangle him, to warn him against treading where he wasn’t welcome. To beg him not to destroy me with his unwelcome attention.

For one crazy moment, I wanted to tell him. To unburden myself. He had no stake in the situation, which made him the safest alternative.

I could have. He gave me more than enough time to change my mind and confess my pain. I thought he might even have been hesitating in order to allow for that confession.

The words never came.

He nodded. “As you wish.”

What I wished was for him to stop looking at me as he did, as though he had no intention of keeping his word.

I turned and hurried back up to the cave, forgetting that I’d ever intended to swim.

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