Chapter 119: Mirian’s Awake
"Because I’m not wrong."
"That again," she hissed.
He could see the frustration in her eyes, the desperation to understand him, to reach him. But Ryder knew he was right. He knew that his actions, his sacrifices, were necessary. And he was willing to stand by them, no matter the cost.
"You’re so convinced of that, aren’t you?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "Was that why you’ve been starving yourself of both food and sleep?"
She swallowed the hard lump at the back of her throat at the thick dark circles around his eyes, the paleness of his face, and his cracked lips. "Do you think this would make me feel sorry for you and lift your punishment?"
Reana couldn’t even summon the energy to be angry anymore. She was extremely sad and drained, her emotions exhausted from the constant turmoil Ryder had put her through.
All she felt now was a dull numbness, a sense of resignation that made her words sound flat and untrue.
Ryder’s gaze dropped, his shoulders sagging slightly, as if the weight of his actions was finally bearing down on him. "No," he whispered, his eyes searching hers, "I’m more worried about you."
He raised his hand, holding her chin as his thumb brushed her chapped lips, "You’ve also gone on a hunger strike, haven’t you?"
Reana’s eyes fluttered closed, her face tilting into his touch as a mix of emotions swirled inside her. She felt a pang of surprise that Ryder had noticed, a sense of vulnerability that he could see through her facade.
"Why are you doing this, Reana?" Ryder’s voice was soft, gentle, his eyes filled with a deep concern that made Reana’s heart ache. "Perhaps, I deserve this punishment but why are you hurting yourself?"