Page 107 of Terror Tuesday

Gently, reverently, I slip my fingers beneath the edge of his mask, holding my breath as my pulse drums loudly in my ears. This time, he doesn’t flinch or draw away.

He just lets me.

His breath shudders as he waits, poised between fear and hope, for the mask to fall. Structured jaw covered with a tiny bit of stubble. Sculpted cheeks. Straight nose. Maybe a dusting of freckles.

And then…

My heart halts as I gasp.

Bright green eyes pierce mine, holding the weight of the world behind them. Head topped with sandy hair. The same I held on to as I rode his face on my bed.

Everything crashes in around me—the mask, the betrayal, the thrill. My two worlds collide violently into one face, one man, one impossible truth.

“Elliot?”

twenty-nine

She stumbles,and I snag her by the waist to hold her to me. I’m not letting go.

“What? How? Who…Who are you?” The hurt in her eyes slices straight through me. She doesn’t pull away, frozen where I need her most.

“Valen Elliot Von Dovish.”

I’m not expecting it. But I don’t mind. She rears back a palm, then slaps me hard against the cheek, my face flying to the side when she does.

“How could you let me believe there weretwoof you? Not tell me who you were!Whydid you do that?”

Her anger strikes deeper than the sting of her slap. Guilt tightens my chest—because beneath my bravado, part of me knows I deserve it.

“You played with my heart, Valen or Elliot... Did you evencarehow much you were hurting me?”

“Every second,” I rush out, aching inside and desperate for her to believe my intentions. “But I had to know if you wanted me—reallywanted me—and not just what I represented.”

The tears behind her eyes threaten to spill over the rims. I hold her face with my hands, stroking her cheeks with my thumbs. With a deep inhale, I confess what only a few people understand. I let her see the real me.

“I had to know if you were still focused on doing what you’ve been taught. If you were going toobey…or if you’d choosemeinstead of them. And I didn’t yet trust you enough to share my true face. Not until you came here tonight. Now I know.”

Her body trembles slightly, delicate and fierce all at once. I can see the battle waging within her, fear versus desire, trust versus betrayal. “Know what?”

“That I matter more than everything you’ve been forced to believe. More than the rules we’re about to burn to the ground. You accept me for who I am in the shadows and not just the light.”

She softens enough in my hold that I try to find the words to explain everything I’ve been dealing with by myself. “When I first sawyouour freshman year, sitting in that auditorium, that was real and true, but would you choose me over everything else? Valen is who I was raised to be for the society—a ruthless heir. My wealth and power became an attraction for lots of women and those who wanted to abuse it. I’m to become a board member, just like my father.”

It’s hard for even me to understand. “Elliot is who I am without all the rules and assignments—I’m real. I’m just a geek who loves playing video games, but who has to put up with being some vigilante for an unknown god in order to stay alive.”

Her lips part to argue, but I continue. “You were the first person who made me wonder if those two halves could coexist. But to put my faith inanyone, even you…” I trail off, the word bitter on my tongue. “Trust was impossible until I knew your heart was truly mine, no matter which face you saw.”

Narrowing her green eyes, she huffs out her question. “What if I had chosen Elliot tonight?”

Pausing, I take a deep inhale and tell her my plan. “Honestly, I knew you wouldn’t. There wasno way.”

“Arrogant—”

“No, really. If youhad, however, then I’d have to leave you alone. Because…you wouldn’t be the woman I need. But Iknowyou, Olivia. I’veknownyou and watched you. When you were ready to break, I wanted to be there to witness you put yourself back together. And I knew it would bemeyou’d choose every time.”

Her chin quivers as her voice shakes with uncertainty. “So it was all a big test for me?”

“Yes. A test of loyalty.”