Just A Weapon

Book Two - Thirteen Years Later

Book 1- debt

"I want him to hate me," he says quietly.
"Because... if Liam forgives me, I might be redeemable."
He swallows. "And that terrifies me."

I study his profile. The way his eyes harden when he says it, like he's bracing for impact that never comes.

"Why are you terrified of that?" I ask. "It's what makes you human."

He lets out a breath that almost sounds like a laugh. Almost.
"But what if it's easy for me to let it go?"

"Being this," I say, gesturing vaguely at him, at the scars he wears, "is not easy."

"But if I become the monster first," he replies, eyes still forward, "I decide the damage."

I tilt my head slightly.
"So you burn the bridge beautifully instead of crossing it?"