The air was suffocating in its weight. Chloe clutched the sheets against her chest, heart hammering as Valerius loomed at the foot of the bed.

Her lips trembled. "Valerius, I am really sorry... I wasn't myself," she whispered. "I missed you. I was lonely. I..."

"Lonely?" His laugh was bitter, sharp. His voice cracked, breaking. "Do you know what that did to me? To hear it from her of all people? To imagine it?"

Tears spilled down Chloe's cheeks. "I hated myself for it the second it happened. ...