Page 149 of Inside the Sun

Then even more silence.

Saying I’m shocked doesn’t even begin to cover what I’m feeling.

I just stand there, frozen, waiting for something to make sense. But nothing fits together, except for one thing.

Ragnar isn’t here by chance.

Fuck. I was right.

And… he’s a soldier. I remember that from reading the sparse info on theTruth Only I Knowblog. Knew it. A guy like this wouldn’t be pruning roses for a sadistic mafioso just for the hell of it!

So, he came here to save Summer. He’s undercover. A plant.

Ragnar’s face stays tight. His eyes shift between me and Summer, but before he can speak, his younger brother continues,

"You might think it’s crazy, Raggi, me telling Sun this. But I believe we can all get out of this if we work together. I have a plan."

Ragnar grits his teeth. He seems focused, distant, and formal, like a dedicated soldier on a mission. And maybe he is.

Summer takes a deep breath.

"Sun already knows about my powers!"

"What are you doing, Summer?!" Ragnar snaps. His voice is tense, angry, unlike anything I’ve heard from him before. "I'm still working on ensuring the safety of our parents! If Anzo makes a move now, they’ll be the first to die. I need more time, maybe even two weeks!"

He sounds sharp. Frustration barely held back. I blink, staring at him. And that’s when it hits me like a whip.

He thinks I’m going to run straight to Anzo and spill everything: now, right this very moment.

The second he realized I knew the truth about them, he assumed I’d turn them in.

My voice cracks.

"I wouldn’t do that, Ragnar." I struggle to breathe. "I’m not a monster!"

"Sun, your situation is difficult, I wouldn’t even blame—"

Tears slip down my face before I can stop them.

"Maybe I don’t deserve your trust," I whisper, "but you could at least pretend you think I’m better than that…"

Ragnar’s face is still tight, his jaw clenched.

"I’m sorry, Sun, but you know damn well what Anzo plans to do! Rocco will rape your dad in front of you. You’ll have a choice: us, or your dad. Now Summer gave you everything you need to cut a deal with Anzo. It’s not about trust, no one can be expected to make that kind of sacrifice!"

Summer lifts a hand. "Stop it! Both of you!"

But I can’t. The tears just start pouring down, and the pain cuts so deep I feel like I’m folding in half. I sink down onto the bench and press my hands to my face.

I don’t know why, but something inside me cracks. I’ve fought so hard to hold onto my humanity in this hellhole… And so somebody else still saw that humanity in me, but now…

I’m anointed as the one who will betray Ragnar and Summer. That’s all I am for him? A traitor in the making.

Summer steps toward me and rests his hand on my shoulder.

"Sun! Ignore him! I do trust you. I trusted you from the second day I met you, when Anzo had you hanging on that damn hook. I told you part of the truth about myself. I risked everything."

He’s right. Summer did trust me. It’s Ragnar who doesn’t. But it’s his trust I care about the most. Have I started to feel something for him I clearly shouldn’t? And this is getting ripped apart right now?

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