I want it... to end

"Look me in the eyes, Ryan. Tell me if I could ever hurt you," Selena demanded, gripping my collar tightly.

We were alone in a private training room, having just left the cafeteria. 

I couldn't forget the way Lucas had glared at me as I turned to leave. His expression was enough to make me reconsider my strategy against him. No doubt he had drawn his own conclusions after witnessing Shelly stand up for me. Of course, he couldn't hear what she and Selena had been saying—Selena had made sure of that with the barrier she cast. But even without sound, our gestures and expressions likely gave him plenty to fuel his imagination.

And now… here I was, facing the moment I had dreaded for so long.

I knew what I had to do, no matter how much I didn't want to do it. But it had to happen. No matter how much I wanted to avoid it, I couldn't. I needed to trust Nelia's advice, not my emotions—those had only led me astray in my first life.