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Thorne cla her suspicion that he had said so dumb indeed

"But I’le one of them You’ll flirt with anyone who so much as looks at you"

"You’ve one, and Cress’s contrived sh he had one hand near her hip, he was no longer touching her

"This is what you were trying to tell me, wasn’t it?" Her voice wavered "In the desert When you were going on and on about how I’m so sweet and how you didn’t want to hurtto warn me, but I was too much of a … a naïve, hopeless romantic to even listen to you"

His eyes softened "I didn’t want to hurt you"

She crossed her ar her vision "I know It’s my own fault I’ve been this stupid"

Thorne flinched, but the lance around, which pro at her eyes before the tears could gather The hallway had al their way

Reaching around Cress, Thorne pulled open a door that she hadn’t even noticed and within half a blink ushered her inside She stu herself on a plant stand beside the door They were surrounded by flowers and greenery of every i in her throat The ceiling rose several stories high and was lass as the s in the roupings throughout the roo the lake beyond

"Good," said Thorne "I thought I re about an atriu we can cross into one of the servant halls and avoid any uards for a while"

Cress filled her lungs to near bursting and let it all out, but the breath did nothing to refresh her She stepped into the roo much-needed space between her and Thorne

She was an idiot He had never once given her any indication that a real relationship could be in their future He’d given her every chance to get used to this fact But despite all his atte in love with him, her heart was still shattered

What orse, a kiss fros, had shattered it--and Thorne really couldn’t be blaers brushed her wrist, but she jerked away "Don’t I’m sorry That wasn’t fair of "

She wiped her nose with the flihed and froh his hair She could feel his gaze burning into the back of her neck, so she turned away and pretended to inspect an enoriven all her feelings away--had probably given theo, but he’d been too concerned with hurting her to let on that he knew

She could tell he wanted to talkin the air between theize He would tell her how much he cared for her--as a friend As a member of his crew

She didn’t want to hear it Not now Not ever, but especially not nohen there werehere?" she asked, and though her voice was tinted with e

She heard a rustle and a quiet click of a portscreen "A few more uests"

She nodded

A second later, she heard another sigh "Cress?"