The Circle

KAZ

"Seriously. What would you do without me?"

River clicks his tongue quietly as he knots my hair away from my face, wiping the sweat from my forehead with his sleeves.

Then he makes me lie down on the bed, and I'm too weak to even make the tiniest protest. My breaths still haven't calmed.

I run a heavy hand over my pale face.

"You okay?" He asks, peering down at me with worried eyes. "What happened?"

A shaky breath leaves my lips.

Then I turn my head to the side, the words weighing down on my tongue.

He sighs.

"Really not going to tell me, huh."

"Is it her?"

My jaw flexes at the mention of Rinei. In my peripheral vision, River sits back on the chair he'd dragged over next to the bed, arms crossing over his chest.

"It is her." He confirms. "Why? Did you get rejected or something? Because you look like someone who's gone through the heaviest breakup of—"

"How can I say I love her?"

He stops, looking at me.

"What?"