ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀꜱ : ᴛʜᴇ ᴜᴘʀɪꜱɪɴɢ

|16|

• ＲＡＩＤＥＮ •

She knew. It was too late now.

I had seen the way she looked at me when it happened—fear flashed across her face, and maybe she was still afraid.

"You okay?" Her voice broke through my spiraling thoughts, and the genuine concern in her eyes gave me a sliver of hope. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn't as scared as I thought. Maybe she understood.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Physically, yes. Mentally, no.

How could I be? I had just revealed who I truly was, which meant I had compromised all our covers, not just mine. From now on, she was a part of our world. Sure, we could make her forget everything, but what was the point? I needed her to know so she could be prepared if we had to run, which was becoming increasingly likely.

"Are you some kind of superhero?" she asked, her tone tinged with curiosity and skepticism. If only it were that simple.

"It's either a gift or a curse, depending on how you see it. Sometimes I felt blessed to be different, other times I wished I could erase it all and start over."

"We? That's why you're all together, acting like a cult and avoiding everyone else?" Her bluntness stung, but I couldn't blame her. We did seem like a cult. Except, she was one of us too, whether she realized it or not.

When I told her she was like us, her eyes widened in disbelief. She was either dense or not ready to hear the truth. But she was special, and my instincts told me she was more than just that.

"I think I need to sit down." She looked pale, which was understandable given the bombshell I just dropped.

I couldn't live with myself if she got hurt because I was too reckless. Yes, I was protective, but I was also selfish and flawed. I wouldn't let anyone in the same situation suffer alone. I had seen too much suffering to let it happen again, especially to her.

"Sorry—"

"Never apologize for being who you are," I interrupted, echoing my mother's words.

"Where are they—" she started to ask, but I cut her off. She had already learned too much tonight. I didn't want to scare her any more.

"It's late. I'll take you home." She didn't object, and I was grateful. Everyone watched us, but I would explain later.

"No bike?" She sounded disappointed, and I made a mental note of it. Not that I needed to do things she liked, of course. It was just good to know her better.

"It's freezing outside. I don't want you to catch a cold." She stayed silent for the rest of the ride.

"Thank you for trusting me—"

"Don't mention it here. It's too risky. They might be watching or have bugged your house. Be careful and don't say anything inside." My paranoia embarrassed me, but I needed to keep her safe.

"I think your mom is spying on us right now." I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. Inside, I was freaking out, but I tried not to show it. Her presence reassured me.

"Let's introduce myself, shall we?" I acted confident, but the truth was that around her, I was a puddle of nerves.

"Hello, Mrs. Bardin. Nice to meet you, and sorry for bringing her back so late." I put on my best behaviour as I held back from laughing when I saw Willow's pout.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Raiden. I've heard a lot about you." I suddenly remembered our clasped hands as she stared at them. She was helping me, keeping me stable without even knowing it. She did so many things without realizing it, it was scary.