Page 87 of The Last Love Story

I love Hux. I know that like I know my own name. And I’ve loved him for longer than I’ve known it.

But I guess it’s not as easy to stop loving someone. Because part of me still loves Callum, especially when he holds me like this, looks down with pure adoration in his eyes. When I was alone, I had Callum, and he’s always been mine. In my mind, in my stories, and now, because I have his ring on my finger. I trace the scar along his palm. My Callum, always trying to do the right thing. Maybe he was misguided. But with my guidance, and his power? We could have changed the world. Saved it, even.

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” he murmurs into my hair, pressing a kiss to my part.

“Security threat?” I question. “Isn’t that why we moved it to the theater in the first place?”

President Graves shoots me a tired look, his face drawn and angry. “This is a different one. A snake in our midst.”

Callum’s hand tightens on my waist, and I know he won’tdare look at me. Not with his father looking at us like he’s waiting for us to break and admit something.

Becka moves past us, but President Graves doesn’t even blink as she steps around him to open a side door. “Stay here until we clear the house. We’ll do a sweep, and then the vote will be back on,” she orders.

“After you.” President Graves mock bows.

We crowd into some sort of antechamber, all black-painted brick and a single overhead light.

President Graves steps carefully behind me, and I clock his movements as he makes his way around me, shiny shoes clicking against the black floor.

“Are we waiting on anyone else?” Callum asks nervously at his father’s pacing.

And then the door slams open, and a fourth figure topples into the black room. I grip at Callum, who is suddenly the only thing keeping me upright.

Hux.

“No,” I breathe, the same time Callum steps in front of me.

“Father. Stop this.”

I’m surprised I can even recognize Hux, after what they’ve done to his face. When he smiles, blood gushes and he spits red onto the floor. His arms are bound behind his back. I want to run to him, but I feel Callum grip my arm, squeezing tight.

Callum’s right. I can’t let anyone see how much this upsets me. They’ll only hurt him more.

President Graves sniffs in disapproval. “My team was alerted this morning to a breach in our system. A hacker. We were able to stop him before he found anything, but we traced it back. Tohim.”

Callum keeps his face neutral. “Well. Our security team does good work. That’s a win for us, right?”

President Graves smiles, but it looks like he’s baring his teeth. “It’s not. Because he got close. He was onmy security detail, Callum. This is a wake-up call. We need to do better. Do you think all this will stop once the vote is secured? We have to make sure there are no otherratson our ship.”

His eyes shift to me, and Callum takes a decisive step forward.

“Ripley is above suspicion,” he says, his tone even.

President Graves purses his lips. “There’s your mistake. No one is above suspicion.” His eyes seek mine as he lunges, grabbing Hux hard by the hair.

I make a noise—something like terror that races up the back of my throat. The sound makes President Graves pause, looking at me expectantly. “What’s the matter, sweetheart? Friend of yours?”

At the look on my face, President Graves pulls a knife from his jacket and presses it to Hux’s throat.

“Don’t touch him!”I scream, my voice strangled and desperate.

“Father, enough,” Callum yells. “Ripley isn’t a traitor.But she also isn’t strong like you or me. You know she’s delicate. This is upsetting her.”

President Graves tilts his head, smirking. “Anything you’d like to share, Ripley?”

“She saved my life,” Callum reminds his father.

“Well, he planned to kill me,” President Graves says. He leans closer to Hux. “He pretended to protect me. Gained my trust. All the while, he was a Mach. Who’s to say your little fiancée didn’t do the same? She could be working for them too. The only way for her to prove it?”