Chapter 57. Was He Going to Kiss Me?

Athena

I opened my mouth to say no, to tell him that I’d enjoyed every single moment of last night, that it was never a mistake to me and that we should never pretend it didn’t happen.

But the words wouldn’t come. Something else came out instead, something that felt like swallowing my own wee.

“Yes, that’s how I feel,” I said, lowering my face so he couldn’t see the lie written all over it.

When I forced myself to lift my gaze and lock eyes with him, I made sure my expression was perfectly controlled. “I see you only as a brother and as a friend.”

The words came out steady and clear, accompanied by what I hoped looked like a genuine smile. Inside, I was screaming. Inside, I was dying a little with each syllable that came out of my mouth.

Tristan searched my face for any sign that I was lying, but I’d gotten good at hiding my true feelings over the years.

Survival with Daxon had required me to become an expert at showing people what th