His lips were on mine again. I twined my fingers in his dark hair.

“I love you,” he murmured, briefly breaking the kiss. “I’ve always loved you.”

My heart skipped a beat. “I-”

It was like Shay was there, whispering in my ear.

You loved him.

Yes.

But not the way you love me.

I love you.

Shay. I’d only ever said those words to Shay. I didn’t want that to change.

What the hell am I doing? I loved Ren. I still loved him. But this place, these intimate ghosts that held me in this room, on this bed, murmuring of past promises and stolen dreams, none of it was my life now. Lingering here, no matter what my feelings, only kept us from escaping a fate we hadn’t chosen for ourselves.

My pulse was racing. Ren kissed me again, but I felt like I was in the arms of a restless spirit that haunted me and not the lover I wanted.

“Wait,” I whispered. “Please wait.”

“Don’t,” he said, moving his mouth over my neck. “Don’t do that, Calla. Don’t try to leave. Just be here. Be with me.”

Couldn’t he see it? There was no here. This place was empty, full of nothing but sadness and-if we lingered-death.

“Ren,” I said, pushing at him gently but firmly. I was beginning to panic but didn’t want to show it. Every word, every move had to be chosen with the utmost care. If I said the wrong thing, I might send Ren running back to the Keepers. While I couldn’t be with him the way he wanted, not here, not now-maybe not ever-I wasn’t going to lose him either. “It’s not safe.”