𝑩𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑮𝒐𝒍𝒅

chapter thirty-nine

Emriana

Breath in

Breath out

Breath in

Breath out

I controlled my breathing as my cries quieted down. My throat felt dry, but the last thing I was about to do was to walk into the kitchen right now, so I stayed there, sitting against the door. The silence that took place once my cries stopped was uncomfortably heavy in the house.

I glanced up at the candlelight on my desk for a while as millions of things crossed my mind. I couldn't believe I had just said that. Although I knew it was the right decision, it still felt like I had made the wrong choice somehow. Even if I would've had feelings for him, I couldn't be with someone who didn't understand me at all like that. I was pretty sure my relationship with Kove was ruined.

I knew what I needed to do, but I didn't know how to do it. I needed to leave, but where do I go? My fingers roamed my neck, and they found the small locket. I held it tightly between my fingers. At that instant, I wished I still had my parents to help me, who I could rely on. I felt so alone in this kingdom. I should've stayed at my Grandpa's house. I would be baking some cookies with Akira right now if it wasn't for this whole thing, but I lost him because of my eagerness to see Ekudal.

The floor of the hallway creaked, and I froze. I heard slow footsteps toward my door until they stopped.

"Emriana, please open the door," Kove called for me. I heard shuffling and a small thud.

"We need to talk, please," I stayed quiet, not feeling ready to remove the door that separated us. Maybe it was because, just like before, I knew that once that door opened, I would be forced to face reality. Maybe it was more than a door, but also the last thing that kept Kove and me together.

"Please, I'm truly sorry for everything I did," he kept going, and his voice trembled with emotions which made me start crying again as a result.

"I didn't realize what I was doing to you at the moment," he added, and I heard him take a large exhale.

"I just said those things about Dana and Akira because I-I... didn't want you to leave me," he finally admitted. I thought I would be all smiling that he admitted his wrongs, but it was the opposite. Having the confirmation that he had indeed lied to me felt like somebody had kicked me in the stomach. All the nights I spent crying about Dana, feeling like I wasn't good enough. A sob escaped my lips as I stood back up and opened the door.

I peered into the hallway to see him sitting on the floor against the wall. His red eyes met my own. He had been crying just like me. I sat down across from him, tucking my dress under my knees to make a layer between me and the cold floor.

"Kove, the thing you don't realize is that you lied to me," he stayed silent as I watched a tear fall down his face, but I was way more hurt right now than he was.

"What makes you better than them? You lied to me, just like them. You're a liar, just like they were," his eyes shut at my words, and I heard him take a shaky exhale.

"Emriana, don't say that," he pleaded.

"I can't trust you anymore, Kove." A tear ran down my face as I stared at him. Right at this moment, he wasn't the boy I met months ago.

"T-thank you for that, but you didn't need to pay for me. Let me pay you back," I reached into my bag to take out the amount he had given to Dumas, but a hand stopped my movement as it gently grasped my own. I felt my cheeks flush at the sudden touch, but Akira made it known pretty quickly that he wasn't a fan of this interaction. An intimidating growl from my side made the boy take off his hand immediately and step back in fear. The tiger growled, satisfied, and got back to his meat.