Chapter 72
Zeke’s POV
In His Eyes: Indifference
With Ettie unconscious on her shoulder, Alina moves urgently, her footsteps echoing in the silence. With blood flowing from the
wound on Ettie’s neck, | keep a vignt eye and my hands poised, ensuring they remain steady and upright. The air feels heavy
with tension as | trail behind them, my senses on edge, alert to any potential danger.
“Alina, what do you need?”
As | ask, my words seem to dissipate in the stillness, unnoticed by her. All her attention is devoted to the critical mission of
rescuing Ettie.
Alina guides Ettie to the makeshift bed in our dimly lit cabin, her movements gentle and deliberate. My eyes nervously flickered
back and forth between the two women, uncertainty creeping into my thoughts. While | remain skeptical of the blonde woman,
the intensity in Alina’s eyes is undeniable. | know that if | tell her to stop right now, she’s going to respond in a way that feels like
she’s biting my head off, both figuratively and literally.
Alina’s face was cast in shadows by the dim light, her features taking on a more serious and intense expression. | can tell that
the task requires herplete concentration by the deep lines etched on her forehead. The rawness of hermitment is
undeniably beautiful.
With each passing moment, Alina’s focus intensifies, her determination growing stronger. With steady hands, she carefully tends
to the gruesome wound, never wavering. The tension in the air was palpable, and the only sound that could be heard was the
irregr breaths escaping Ettie’s unconscious body. With precision, Alina’s hands swiftly retrieve a nearby first aid kit. She starts
working on the wound, meticulously cleaning it to prevent infection.
Time seems to stretch endlessly as Alina works tirelessly. Every gesture she makes is filled with purpose and fueled by an
invisible, inner strength. The air is
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In His Eyes: Indifference
heavy with the distinct metallic scent of blood. Finally, Alina steps back, her sweat—drenched face showing a mix of exhaustion
and determination as her eyes finally meet mine. | see a myriad of emotions reflected in her eyes — relief, exhaustion, and an
unwavering determination. The makeshift bandage on Ettie’s neck, though rough, was tightly wrapped to stop the bleeding.
“| think she''ll be okay, for now,” Alina says, her voice hoarse, and | realize the toll this improvised operation has taken on her.
“But we have to get her out of here or she’s going to die.”
No matter how much | desire to give her a reassuring and urate answer, | am unable to do so. And from the sorrowful
expression on Alina’s face, it is evident that she is aware of my inability to do the same.
“You know we can’t leave until the game is over or until Ettie finds a mate.”
Asoft sigh escapes Alina’s lips, a silent admission of the seriousness of our situation. With care, she reaches Ettie’s side, where
she lies unconscious on the bed, and softly runs her hand along her face. It was a gesture that stirred a sense of familiarity,
evoking a history that eluded my understanding.
“We''ll get you out of here,” Alina assures her, her gaze shifting from Ettie to meet mine. “We will, won’t we?”
The unspoken emotions hang thickly in the air, and | can feel the dryness of my lips as | prepare to speak. “We''ll do our best.”
A quiet request follows.
“Help me clean up.”
Together, we set to work, the task at hand offering a temporary escape from the feral, unconscious woman lying on the bed, who
was once her closestpanion. As we painstakingly scrub away the remnants of Ettie’s blood on the ground, | steal asional
nces at Alina, trying to gauge her emotions. | observe Alina’s unwaveringmitment to the task as she stands with her back
turned to me. However, her subtle nces towards Ettie evoke a confusing blend of bitter resentment and almost jealousy in me.
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In His Eyes Indifference
Alina’s dedication to Ettie remains steadfast, even after she lost her memories, mirroring their bond from the past. A stark
contrast to the uncertain ground on which our rtionship now stands.
“Zeke,” Alina’s voice breaks through the tumultuous thoughts swirling in my mind. “Hand me the rag, please.”
| hand her the rag, and | watch again as Alina moves closer to the bed, wiping the blood that got on Ettie’s legs. The tenderness
in her actions was undeniable as she went about her tasks, taking extra care to ensure Ettie remained undisturbed.
“Thank you,” Alina says, breaking the quiet as she surveys our handiwork. “It feels better in here.”
“...Yeah.”
As | watch, Alina leisurely strolls over to her friend and takes a seat right next to her. Without hesitation, Alina begins to run her
fingers through her friend’s hair, as if it were second nature to her. The act was so intimate that | wondered if she had forgotten |
was even in the same room. My attention is fixated on Alina’s graceful movements, the way her eyes delicately caress Ettie’s
calm features, causing a knot to form in the pit of my stomach.
Unable to ignore my mounting unease any longer, | finally gather the courage to break the fragile serenity of the moment with my
words.
“What do we do with her when she wakes up?”
Alina nces at me, confusion etching lines across her forehead.
“What do you mean by that, Zeke?”
| can feel my frustration building up inside me, and eventually, | can’t help but speak my mind. | wish | didn’t sound so consumed
by jealousy, the sound echoing in
my own ears.
“| mean, what’s the n? Are we just going to act like nothing happened? Like she didn’t try to kill me?”
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In His Eyes Indifference
“She was just confused.” Alina’s eyes narrow, a spark of anger flickering within them. “This shouldn''t even be up for discussion.
We take care of her. She’s my best friend.”
| feel a sudden chill down my spine, which only adds to the growing heat of my anger. in disbelief, | shake my head while a
forced chuckle of anger escapes from my lips.
“Alina, she tried to strangle me.”
“Ettie’s not herself right now. We can’t abandon her!”
“She might not be herself, but she’s dangerous. What if she attacks again?” | m a hand over my chest, appalled by Alina’s
reaction, as if | had physically punched her. “What if she decides to attack you instead of me the next time?”
With a re, Alina locks eyes with me, her jaw visibly tense.
“| don’t know about you, but | don’t abandon the people | care about, no matter
what.”
| take a step closer to Alina, my frustration escting into anger. “Alina, | care about you. | care about us. But | can’t just act like
nothing happened.”
“Zeke, you''re not thinking straight. Ettie needs us.”
“I''m not thinking straight?!” Taking a step back, | let out a mockingugh as if she had just cracked a joke. “What about us, Alina?
What about our safety?”
“Our safety matters, but not at the cost of abandoning someone | care about,” Alina takes a deep breath, her anger dissipating as
a strong determination takes its ce. “You want an answer? Fine. We find a way to help Ettie without hurting her. That’s what
we do.”
“| can’t believe you''re putting her needs above ours,” I.throw my hands up frustration. “She tried to kill me, Alina!”
in
“And | can’t believe you''re willing to abandon my friend in need!” Alina screams
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In His Eyes Indifference
back, her voice echoing through the cabin as her eyes burn with unshed tears out of anger. In an instant, my anger vanishes,
and all | can think about is approaching her and pleading for her forgiveness. Alina’s throat clears, and she averts her eyes from
me, pinching the bridge of her nose in difort. “She’s not herself, Zeke. We help her, and we do it together.”
Just as I’m about to speak, Alina beats me to it, her words filling the air before
mine can escape.
Alina’s focus shifts from me to Ettie, her eyes unwavering.
“| need some time alone, Zeke. Please. Get out.”
“| won''t.” | tell her, eyes on Ettie. “You can be mad at me all you want, but | won’t leave you alone with her.”
| could see in Alina’s eyes that she recognized the seriousness of my words. Without a word, she turns away from me and
begins to sob. As much as | want tofort her, | don’t want her to think that I’m agreeing with what she wants. She can have
anything she wants from me, as long as her well-being is notpromised.
Silence lingered in the air, thick and tangible, following the intense exchange of emotions between Alina and me. Her tears fell
softly, filling the room with our conflicting feelings. It’s been intense, but now there’s this weird calmness in the air.
With her shoulders hunched, Alina’s tear—streaked cheeks are visible to me. The gap between us has grown wider, and | yearn
to utter words, any words, to mend it. But | can’t find the right words to say because of all the tension between us.
As | contemte the fractured space between us, a sound breaks the oppressive quiet-a soft rumbling, like distant thunder. At
first, | mistook it for the low growl of an animal just outside the cabin. But then it returns, impossible to ignore and utterly
tangible-the rumbling of her hungry stomach.
| turn my gaze toward Alina, her stomach growling loudly. | catch a glimpse of her downcast eyes, intentionally avoiding mine,
and a wave of guilt washes over me. She must be upset, her growling stomach a testament to her hunger, while | sit here
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In His Eyes Indifference
like an unspoken observer.
In an attempt to break the heavy silence, | find myself drawn towards the table, where a basket of ripe fruits, generously provided
by a sponsor days ago, beckons me. Apples. oranges, and a bunch of grapes. As | pluck a couple of fruits, | cautiously approach
Alina, carefully offering them to her. | notice that she avoids making eye contact with me, her attention seemingly fixated on
something in the distance. | clear my throat, shattering the stillness that hangs in the air.
“You should eat something.”
She remains silent, her attention solely focused on the enticing fruits in my outstretched hand. | worry for a moment that she
might reject the offer, but then her stomach growls again, the sound echoing through the cabin, a clear indication of her hunger.
With a hesitant gesture, Alina epts the fruits from my outstretched hand. It’s a wordless exchange, where our eyes do all the
talking. She murmurs a quiet response, barely audible, as | slowly back away to allow her some space.
“Thank you.”
| nod, acknowledging her gratitude, and discreetly make my way to a corner of the room, granting her the solitude she appears to
desire. The soft crunching sound of her biting into an apple punctuates the stillness. | watch her from a distance, the dance of
shadows ying on her face as she consumes the fruit in silence.
Minutes pass by, and the only sounds that break the silence in the room are the asional faint whispers of the forest outside.
With thest bite of the apple, Alina looks up at me. Her eyes, once clouded with tears, now hold a flicker of something else—
resignation, perhaps. | offer a slight smile, attempting to convey a silent understanding.
Silently, Alina stood up and gracefully settled beside me. | sensed her presence before | saw her, the subtle shift in the air telling
me that she was approaching. My body remained motionless, but | could feel a slight tension in my muscles as she settled down
and leaned her head against my shoulder.
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| could feel her warmth seeping into my skin,forting and soothing. Unsure of how to navigate this newfound closeness, |
couldn’t help but feel a slight tension
Her voice, a gentle murmur, broke the silence of the tranquil cabin.
“Im sorry for everything. But | need you to understand. | can’t just leave Ettie like that. | would hate myself if | let her die when |
have all the means to stop it.”
| wanted to be angry, to demand that she prioritize our rtionship over Ettie’s well-being. Still, there was an undeniable
sincerity in her plea that | couldn''t ignore. Lexhaled heavily, my breath bing one with the heavy, uneasy atmosphere in
the room
me-”
“... just don’t want to see you hurt. The bitch- sorry. | mean, she tried to kill
She shifted beside me, the subtle rustling of fabric echoing her restlessness.
“Zeke, | get it. | do. But Ettie’s not herself. Something happened to her, and she’s not in control. | can’t abandon her now, not
when she needs us the most.”
“...l can’t promise that I''ll be okay with this.”
For a brief moment, she said nothing, her gaze unwavering. Then, she took a deep breath, her words escaping her lips like a
gentle whisper.
“| know it’s not easy, and I can’t ask you to ept it right away. But please, try to understand. Please?”
Initially, | choose to stay quiet, but eventually, | release a sigh and tenderly press my lips against the side of her head.
Then, | lie.
“Okay.”