CHAPTER 44

KRISTINA'S POV

My own voice sounded odd, almost like I was being strangled. I felt tears threatening to escape and blinked them back as quickly as they came. Now wasn't the time to cry. I wouldn't lose this battle so easily. No matter what happened.

Alliyah sighed heavily. She stood up and took a step forward but paused before taking another.

"Kristina, come on–"

I crossed my arms tightly against my chest. "No, I don't think so," I said firmly, shaking my head, "Not right now, anyway."

"Look, you can't seriously expect me to believe that you're okay with me telling people the truth," she said calmly. "It's not like this is the first thing I'm supposed to do."

"No, it really isn't. I know." I replied quietly.

And that was true. It wasn't. It hadn't been since the day we left our loved ones. We were both too young to understand the consequences, yet we had both seen those consequences first hand. And they'd been devastating. But…

That didn't mean Alliyah was right. I shouldn't fe