Page 35 of The Obedient Lie
Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a wrapped lollipop — like it was nothing.
Where the hell, did healwayshave candy?
He held it out to me.
I stared at it. “Really?”
He shrugged. “Sugar helps with adrenaline. Don’t ask me. Maddy says it’s science.”
I took it.
“Thanks,” I muttered more shocked he was actually standing here talking to me.
He nodded once. Then turned and walked off — as if everything that had just happened wascompletely normal.
Chapter Fourteen
EMILIA
I heard the door open and didn’t even need to look up to know it was him.
Bastion always walked like he had something to prove — or something to outrun.
I was at the kitchen counter, setting down a clean cup of coffee.
Black. No sugar.
The way he took it.
I’d made it without thinking.
Like I always did.
Like I had every morning forweeks.
He paused — just inside the door.
I turned to him, offered a soft smile. “It’s still hot.”
He stared at the cup. Then at me. And something shifted in his jaw. Pure white panic ran through me just from his look.
“Stop doing that,” he snapped.
I blinked. “Doing what?”
“That.” He pointed at the mug, then at me. “That. Being so—nice. Smiling like we asked for it. Like weaskedfor you.”
I froze. The mug still in my hand.
His voice rose — sharp, tired, broken at the edges.
“We didn’t invite you here, Emilia. We didn’t ask for our room to be turned into a fucking tea party. We didn’t ask for fresh laundry or fruit platters or your perfect little folded towels.”
“Bastion—” I tried.
“No.” He cut me off. “You think because you smile and bake and hum under your breath that iteraseswhat you did?”
He was pacing now. Fast. Angry.Unraveling.
