Secret of Betrayal: Book Two of The Destroyer Trilogy by DelSheree Gladden

night, we never
would have broken up. I never would have felt the stab of his betrayal, the
crushing loneliness of thinking I had been abandoned again.
    But I never would have met Milo, either.
    I honestly don’t know how to feel about this
realization. There’s really only one thing I can say. “I’m so sorry, Lance.”
    He sighs. “I just wish you would have trusted
me.”
    “It wasn’t a matter of trust, Lance.” Until I
actually saw him draw his blade that night, I never believed he would hurt me. Never. “I didn’t tell you because I was afraid of losing
you. I thought I’d scare you away, not that you wouldn’t keep my secret. I
wanted to keep you as long as possible.”
    “You wouldn’t have lost me,” Lance says. “You
still haven’t.”
    I sit back up and push a stand of hair out of my
face. Forget the sit-ups. I’ve already done more than anyone else will do in
the entire three minutes. “Lance …”
    “Look, Libby, I’m not trying to change your mind
about me. I know we’re never going to date again, but I hope you agree that
we’re back to being friends. All I’m asking is for you to be honest with me
from here on out. After the lies you’ve told me, and
everything I’ve given up for you,” he says, gesturing at Guardian Clement, “I
think I deserve at least that.”
    Trust isn’t an easy thing for me, but I know
he’s right. Well, right in every way but one. “Lance, I won’t hold anything
back from you when it comes to freeing the Ciphers and whatever other missions
we take on, but my relationship with Milo is none of your business.”
    “Libby, please,” Lance begs.
    “Why do you need to know that?” I demand.
    “Because I still don’t trust him, and I think
he’s an idiot who’s clearly not good enough for you.”
    “Not a valid reason,” I say. “Milo has never
given me or you any reason to doubt him or to think he’s going to hurt me. I’ve
put up with your suspicions because I know you really believe Milo is
dangerous, but until you have actual proof of him being a problem, I don’t want
to hear another word about it. And Milo is not an idiot. Quit talking about him
like he’s beneath you or you won’t get another word out of me about anything,
including missions.”
    “Come on …”
    “No, Lance, I mean it. And besides, I wasn’t lying
to you when I said I went home alone. I wasn't with Milo last night. He dropped
me off at the motel, and then he went home. Maybe you should trust me a
little more.”
    His mouth pops open to argue, but he stops
himself. It takes him a moment to continue. “You woke me up last night. It
wasn’t pleasant. It felt a lot like how I used to feel when we were alone.”
Lance closes his eyes and shakes his head. “It hurt more than anything to think
you and Milo were …”

“We weren’t!” I hiss. “I wasn't ready to go that
far with you, and I’m not ready for that with Milo, either. I’m not lying when
I say I wasn't with Milo last night.”
    “Then what was going on? You woke me up from a
pretty deep sleep. That wasn’t some reaction to a movie or a dream. It was too
strong for that.”
    Nothing I say is going to make him back down.
Lance is relentless when he gets something between his teeth. He’ll badger me
until I break. I resort to begging. “Lance, please just leave this alone.”
    “I want an explan …”
    “Class!” Guardian Clement
calls out. “Gather round, I want you all to meet someone.”
    The static electricity that runs over my skin
makes me jump to my feet, but I don’t turn around. Lance is staring at me, and
for once I’m glad of it. I reach for him to make sure he keeps his eyes on me,
but his gaze slides past me and his eyes light up with fire. One by one his
muscles tense under my hands. The force of him trying to push past my body
nearly topples me. I’ve never seen him tap this much power. I have to summon up
every ounce of Strength in my body to hold him back without hurting