Not when the alternative was sitting her down and explaining the realities of my world. I could have told her that my life exists under a perpetual shadow of threats and enemies. That being with me means those shadows loom over her too.
I could have done that... and watched her walk away.
So I did the only thing I could to keep her safe while keeping her mine. It was selfish, but I've never pretended to be anything else.
Myles stays silent as the elevator climbs. Floor after floor, that familiar ding echoes through the phone. I'm on the other side of the globe, but my chest tightens with each ascending level. I hold my breath, straining to hear Nova's voice through the connection.
I don't need much. Just a word. A whimper, even. Some proof that she's there and this was all worth it.
T
