Chapter 17

Kellan's POV

I pushed the door to our suite open and stepped through into the first light of dawn, filtering through the drawn curtains. The room was quiet except for the low sound of Olivia's breathing. My eyes skittered to her, a small figure, curled up on the couch, in her clothes from the day prior, asleep.

She would have tipped sideways a little, her head at an awkward angle, even asleep, the faint furrow that lined her brow as if mind could not find its way free from its troubles would be present.

A sharp twisting in my guts, pierced through by that stabbing pang of chagrin that stabbed through the armor of indifference I had worked so hard to build up around myself. I could shrug it off. After all, she brought it on herself, didn't she? Trying so hard to fit a role I never wanted her to play. Trying so hard to be someone I could love when I had clearly made it known that I couldn't.

I peered back over to Olivia, still asleep, obviously not even knowing I was here. She looked