“I think you’re full of shit, Leo, and you’re trying to punish yourself by using me—”
“Just hit me,” Leo pleaded, voice breaking as his eyes glistened. “Hurt me for it—”
“You’re already hurting.” Hunter simply shook his head. “I’m not hitting you.”
He didn’t think it was possible that Hunter could hold back his fury, and right now he was furious. His nose was flaring, his hands were clenched, and yet he didn’t strike Leo. Which was unfortunate. The guilt swirling in the pit of Leo was growing by the minute.
“It wasn’t your fault,” Hunter added quietly. “I’m sorry I said it was.”
But itwashis fault.
And if Hunter knew about the thoughts swirling in his mind—the selfish, horrible, betraying thoughts—Leo would be on the ground, half-dead for contemplating them at all.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Hunter said again, watching Leo carefully, reading him like a book. “You know why you crave the hurt right now, Leo?”
“Because I feel guilty.”
“No,” Hunter replied. “It’s because you have athinginside you, too. It’s buried so deep, it’s clawing to the surface, and you’re so good at bottling it in. One day, Leo, yourthingis going to break loose.”
Leo swallowed hard. Maybe Hunter was right. Maybe something stirred in the depths of him, itching to come out. But he’d seen so many awful things. He’d been to the Dungeon so many times, he’d shut himself off completely—had been so good at it, too.
But this—
Seeing Skye hurt.
He found he could not shut off from her.
“You know what thethingwill start telling you to do?” Hunter continued.
“What?” Leo asked.
“It’ll tell you to let me take care of it. It might even tempt you to sell me out—”
“No—”
“But you might get tempted. The thoughts will multiply—you might even feel good about it.”
“Never, Hunt.”
But Hunter smiled at him coolly, his eyes dark. “Don’t lie to me, Leo. I see straight through you—and we agreed to be candid with each other. Admit the thought of me gone has its perks.”
Leo’s skin prickled, his shame tasting bitter. “I would be able to have Skye for myself.”
“Yeah.”
“I’d console her in your absence. I’d become her entire world and not just half of it.”
Hunter nodded. “You would.”
But Leo shook his head, shoulders slumping as he confessed, “But I love you, Hunt, and I couldn’t be without you, either. So…I’m sort of screwed, aren’t I?”
Hunter chuckled. “You and me both.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I get it.” Hunter sighed heavily. “It’s alright to get tempted every now and again…”
But it wasn’t.