Kyro - A.G. Wilde Page 0,73

realized she was in front of her door.

Had she really walked all the way with her mind elsewhere?

The presence of her door made her feel even worse.

She had arrived. That meant goodbye.

It was so soon.

Too soon.

Sighing, she activated the door and stared into her apartment as the door slid open.

As soon as she walked over the threshold and the door closed, that was it. He would be gone, and she wouldn’t remember any of what had happened over the last twenty-four hours.

She wouldn’t even remember him or her feelings for him.

For a second, she considered telling him no, but she couldn’t. She was putting him in danger.

As she swallowed hard and stepped over the threshold, she paused and faced him.

“Kyro...”

“Evren...”

She would be strong. She would be strong for this.

“Here is the device.” He opened his hand and outstretched it. A device the size and shape of a pen resting in his palm. He’d already taught her how to use it before they’d left his place.

Taking the little device, she nodded. It was this thing that was going to destroy her world and she wouldn’t even know about it afterward.

Looking up at him, she could feel the wetness threatening to fall from her eyes.

Her wonderful Kyro.

She squeezed the device in her hand.

If it meant protecting him, she’d do anything.

Kyro reached out to touch her then pulled his arm back, the movement making her heart wring in her chest.

But he was right not to touch her. She’d fall apart if he did.

She kept repeating in her head that this was for the best.

Funny how the right thing felt so, so wrong.

“I should go...” he finally said.

Evren nodded. She wanted to scream no but she couldn’t.

His skin tightened as if he was stopping himself from doing something and for a moment, hope flared within her. “Goodbye, Evren.”

Her body jerked in a soundless, tearless sob.

Nodding, she sniffed. “Goodbye, Kyro.”

Pressing the panel on the wall before she could change her mind, the door of the apartment slid closed.

Sliding against the wall, she leaned her head against it, finally allowing the tears to fall.

She’d just lost the one thing in all of this shitfest that felt right. She’d lost him and she was never getting him back.

As the sobs shook her body, she remained there on the floor, letting the emotions rip right through her.

On the other side of the door, Kyro stood staring at the flat panel.

Resting his forehead against it, he took a deep breath.

This was for the best.

For the best.

For the best.

He’d have to repeat that a thousand times till it stuck in his head as the truth—no matter how long that took—for his heart was telling him something else.

It was a pity he couldn’t listen.

32

Activating the screen of her datapad, Evren confirmed once more.

She had enough credits.

Enough to take a shuttle to the Intergalactic Hub. Enough to leave the base behind...enough to leave Kyro behind.

The thought had her swallowing back the regret, fear, and sadness she felt.

She needed to do this.

There wasn’t a choice.

Grabbing the bag she’d packed, mind erasing device deep inside, she took one last look around the apartment she’d never made home but which still felt, nonetheless, like home.

Something she didn’t expect to feel was there, lingering behind her eyes as she looked around the room—she was going to miss this place.

Her bag was clutched in her hand in the next second, her datapad shoved into a pocket of the cargo pants she wore. Keeping her eyes in front of her, she exited the apartment and began making her way to the ship port, walking down the street but not seeing anyone. The general hustle and bustle was lost on her until she reached Kyro’s building.

It took everything within her not to stop and look up to his window. Would he be there looking out? Would she see him one last time?

She couldn’t look. If she looked, she didn’t think she had it in her to continue on her way, and she needed to leave. For both of them...for him...she needed to leave.

As she walked past his building, she could feel a noticeable crack in the shell she was weaving around her heart.

This was the hardest thing she’d ever done in her life and the walk to the dock the longest.

Glancing behind her as she went, she knew what she was looking for. But no skunkats trailed her. He hadn’t shifted into the animal to follow her.

When she finally arrived at the dock, it was busier than she’d thought