Chapter 68

Alaria

I didn’t stop when I heard his footsteps behind me. I couldn’t.

Because I knew that if I let him in, he was going to find a way to explain something that was not real, something that was a game. But I know what I saw. I know what I heard. The man was trying to play me for a fool again.

And to make matters worse, despite me knowing the consequences, despite me knowing what I was doing, despite me knowing him, I allowed him in. I was the one who allowed him to get in my head.

“Alaria… wait.”

His voice carried through the hallway, commanding, urgent. The kind of voice that always made people freeze. But I didn’t freeze. I wasn't going to let him get in my mind again.

“For crying out loud, just stop. Just give me a minute.” He tried again, but I did not care.

I ran faster, my breath catching, vision blurring as tears pushed hot and unrelenting behind my eyes. I tried wiping them but they did not want to stop. Of course they wo