The Last Victor

Chapter 30

One Last Hoorah - Part 1

KAIDEN'S P.O.V.

Asher taps his foot subconsciously as the clock hung above the bar seems to fly by, reminding us of the inexorable passing of time.

The room sits in a melancholic silence, everyone caught up in their own pensive thoughts.

The air is so brittle it could snap, and if it doesn't, I might. No-one dares to speak. But then again what is there to even say?

Everyone knew what today's incident meant.

"How much time does she have left?" my monotonous voice breaks through the silent room, "Till Stage 5?"

Pax swallows through the lump in his throat and hangs his head, meaning nothing good.

"One......maybe two days at most." he answers.

His words hit me like a left jab. An instant, squeezing pain overcomes my chest. Something I'd never felt before.

Silence rocks the room again.

"What are we supposed to do from here?" Arabella speaks up, glancing between all of us expectantly with somber eyes, "Sit around and wait?"

"Yes." Ace leans over in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees as he holds his face up in his hands, "All we can do from here is make sure that she's comfortable."

Bullshit.

I ball my hands. My father had taught me to rein in emotions. Otherwise it becomes a weakness, one that others could use to their advantage.

"You can trust no one but yourself." his words ring in my head clear as day, "It's you against the world. Get used to it.....that's what happens when you're an Untouchable."

And that's the way it's been my whole life.

Well— at least I'm trying to keep it that way.

But with Reyes?..........Well, fuck.

She's the first person in my life that I could see myself possibly opening up to.

And that scares the absolute shit outta me.

I don't get close to people. You can say that I've been burned.....a lot.

But when she's near me I get this strange magnetic sensation that I've never felt before–like I'm drawn to her despite the voice in my head telling me to run in the opposite direction. I don't feel tough or like I have to put up a hard front with her......it just feels easy.

And that says something because nothing in my life feels easy.

But once my guard comes down my walls start to form cracks in them. And my walls are my only protection from getting hurt. I couldn't let reckless abandonment be my downfall.

So I push her away and put on an even colder exterior, desperately attempting to fill in those cracks. It's the only way to prevent anyone from coming in, as well as to keep myself from coming out.