Celeste’s heart gave a painful thud at his words. She knew he thought the worst of her, but she didn’t think that it was to this extent. She’d done so many bad things in order to stop Maximus. She acknowledged that, but he wasn’t a saint either. They were both monsters in this story. Anger surged deep inside her, and she wanted to hurt him as much as he was hurting her. Celeste took a deep breath, calming herself.
“I want nothing from you. I was trying to help,” she said. “All you had to say was no.”
Maximus stared at her for a few seconds, as if he couldn’t believe what she was saying. He looked down at the counter, and then sighed. “I couldn’t say no because my parents need something stronger. But I can’t say yes either, because I don’t trust you.”
“We don’t trust each other, Maxim
