CHAPTER 28

The Choice

“You’re thinking too loud.”

Flora barely looked up from the map. Adrian stood at the entrance of the tent, arms crossed, his sharp gaze scanning her face. He wasn’t wrong. Her thoughts had been screaming at her all night.

“I didn’t know thinking had a volume,” she muttered, tracing her finger along the route they were supposed to take tomorrow. Another mission. Another fight. Another step deeper into a war she wasn’t sure she wanted to be a part of anymore.

Adrian walked in, the flap of the tent closing behind him. He stood there for a moment, silent. Then, “You’re gonna leave, aren’t you?”

Flora froze.

She should’ve expected that. Adrian had always been able to read her too well, even when she didn’t want him to. She sighed, finally looking up at him. “I don’t know.”

His jaw tensed. “That’s not a no.”

Flora rubbed her temples. “It’s not a yes, either.”

Adrian exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “You’re tired.”

“Of course I’m tired.” She scoffed, shaking her head. “Aren’t you?”

Adrian didn’t answer.

Flora leaned back, crossing her arms. "You don't get to judge me for this. Not when you've been shutting me out for weeks."

"I'm not judging you," he said, quieter now. "I just… I don't want you to make a decision you'll regret.

Regret?" Flora laughed shortly. "What's there to regret? Staying? Fighting a war that's never gonna end? Watching people, we care about die over and over again?" She met his gaze. "Or is it leaving that you think I'll regret?"

Adrian didn't blink. "Yeah."

Flora clenched her jaw. "Because of you?"

Adrian hesitated. Then, almost reluctantly, "Yeah."

The admission knocked the wind out of her.

For a long moment, neither spoke. Beyond the tent walls, the murmur of the camp filtered in: muffled murmurs of soldiers, low crackles of fires, the occasional clang of arms and weapons being cleaned. It all seemed to bear down on her, threatening to smother her.

Flora sprang abruptly to her feet, the map crinkling beneath her hand. "I need air."

Adrian made no move to stay her.

She walked aimlessly through the camp, the boots crunching against the dirt. The night air was cool, carrying smoke and steel on it. Soldiers moved around her, some readying for the march tomorrow, others trying to steal a few moments of rest before the cycle started anew.

Rhea saw her first. "You look like you just had a very intense internal monologue."

Flora groaned. "Not now, Rhea.

Rhea fell into step beside her anyway, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket. "Lemme guess. You and Adrian had a heart-to-heart that left you questioning everything about your life choices?"

Flora shot her a glare. "How do you do that?"

Rhea smirked. "I have a gift."

Flora exhaled, staring at the ground. "I don't know what to do."

Rhea was quiet a moment. Then, "You're scared.

Flora scowled. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are," Rhea fired back. "You're scared of leaving, but you're even more scared of staying."

Flora swallowed.

Rhea leaned into a companionable shoulder bump. "Listen. Whatever you choose? It's yours. But don't do it because you feel like it's the right choice. Do it because it feels right."

Her throat felt tight. "What if I don't know what I want?

Rhea grinned. "Then figure it out. But don't take too long. Life doesn't wait."

Flora sighed. "You're annoying when you're wise."

"I know."

They walked in silence for a bit before Rhea nudged her. "So… you love him, right?"

Flora almost stumbled. "What?"

Rhea rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. It's painfully obvious."

Flora rubbed her temples. "This is not the time—"

"It's precisely the time," Rhea countered. "Look, I don't do the whole 'romantic speeches under the stars' thing, but if you love him, and he loves you—"

"He never said that."

Rhea cocked an eyebrow. "He didn't have to."

Flora fisted her hands.

"Just think about it," Rhea said. "That's all I'm saying."

And with that, she went ahead, leaving Flora to her thoughts.

The next morning, Flora found Adrian by the supply tent, sharpening his blade.

She stood there a moment, watching him.

He must've sensed her, because he spoke without looking up. "You decide yet?"

Flora crossed her arms. "No."

Adrian stopped sharpening, glancing up at her. "You're still here."

"Yeah."

A pause.

Then, softer, "Good."

Flora inhaled. "Adrian… If I stay, I need to know something."

He waited.

She took a step closer. "What happens next? After all of this?"

Adrian finally looked at her, really looked at her-like he was considering every word before he spoke.

"I don't know," he admitted.

Flora swallowed. "That's not a good answer."

Adrian sighed. "I know. But it's the truth." He blew out a breath. "The only thing I do know? I don't want to do this alone."

Flora's heart pounded.

Adrian set his blade down, leaning forward some. "You leaving? That's your call. Won't stop you. But if you stay…His voice fell to a whisper. "Then we figure it out. Together."

Flora looked for a waiver, anything, on his face. He didn't as much as bat an eye.

She didn't say a thing for several silent moments. Eventually, she did reach for his blade, picked it up testing its weight in her hands.

She could still leave.

She could walk away from the war, from the chaos, from all the things that had left her scarred.

But as she stood there, the blade in her grip, Adrian watching her with quiet intensity, she knew.

She wasn’t ready to leave. Not yet.

Flora exhaled and handed the blade back to him.

“I’ll stay.”

Adrian took it, his fingers brushing against hers for just a second.

“Good,” he said quietly.

And for the first time in a long time, Flora felt she'd made the right choice.