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5
In a small, dim room, Livia lies on a sleeper. When she opens her eyes, she sees Kane sitting in a chair
next to her while Lex stands close to the open doorway.
“How are you feeling?” he asks.
“I feel all right. It wasn’t that bad.” She looks closely at Kane’s face. He is looking a little better. He
has more color. His eyes are more alert. “How are you? You are looking better.”
“They gave me fluids and a bunch of boosters,” he says. “I don’t know what they were exactly, but I
feel much better.”
“I’m so glad, but you should rest. You don’t need to be here with me.”
Kane takes Livia’s hand. “I’m not leaving you.”
Lex shifts awkwardly. I’m so out of place. They are so ridiculous. How can they be so serious about
each other so soon? They just met. I could never be so mushy. Kane was never like this with me. They
are something different.
Lex says briskly, “Looks like Kane’s got you. I’ll be around if you need me,” and heads out the door.
When Lex is gone, Livia says to Kane, “I could tell Lex was uncomfortable. It must be hard for her to
see us getting so close.”
“I’m not sure what we can do about that,” says Kane. “I can’t help how I feel about you.”
“I can sense how you feel about me,” says Livia.
“Can you?” Kane asks with a smile. He pushes her hair back from her face. “I’m definitely not trying
to hide it.”
“I don’t think you could even if you wanted to. I felt it the night we met at my Emergence Ball, that
you were attracted to me, but also that you wanted to protect me.”
“Yes, I wanted to protect you. It just all went wrong.”
“I know it was an accident. You weren’t really trying to kill me. I knew then and I know now that you
would never hurt me.”
“Never, but I don’t want to hurt Lex either. What Lex and I had . . .” He corrects himself, “What we
have is not the same. We’re friends. I would protect her with my life, and I know she would do the same