Chapter 24

LUIS VEGA'S Pov The night was dense, like a fog, engulfing all sounds except my heart's thumping. Camila was standing close to me, and despite my body's urge to flee and hide from what I was going to say, I was unable to turn away. Why now? Why had I been caught off guard by this moment? I was burning inside, raw and exposed, hot and wild, while the cold wind whipped around us. I felt compelled to express it. I had to stop acting. I said in a rough, low voice, "I can't keep pretending anymore." "I'm not just watching out for you because it's my job, Cami. I care. More than I ought to. There was a flash of surprise as her eyes widened. Then she laughed, a sharp, bitter sound that pierced the cold. "Are you okay? This isn't a romance, Luis. It's war. Although her words felt like a slap, I ignored the warning signs and moved closer. "Perhaps. But without a cause for fighting, what good is war? My reason is you. She looked at me with her arms crossed, as if I were a stranger and a threat.