I let out a cold laugh. "Les, you are unbelievably selfish. You only ever care about yourself and whoever you feel like protecting. My feelings, my career, whether I live or die—none of it means a thing to you."
"That's not true!" His voice dropped to a raw growl. "You matter to me!"
"Your love is cheap." I looked at him, my gaze perfectly still. "I don't want it anymore. Don't come looking for me again. We're done."
I stepped around him and walked away.
Les stood rooted to the spot, watching me go, and for the first time, real panic cracked through that composure. He was only now realizing that this time, I wasn't coming back.
The day of the selection review, I arrived at the designated location early.
The man seated at the head of the room wore a simple black shirt, his bearing cool and remote. Dustin Vance.
He looked younger than in his photos, and far more imposing. He was perfectly still, doing nothing but sitting there, yet the weight of him made it difficult to hold eye contact.
"Begin." His voice was low and pleasant, stripped of any extra emotion.