The Flame (sequel to Kidnapped by Kylo Ren)

Chapter 24

But first I knew I had a task to complete. My feet carried me to one of the huge hangars. I felt fear in my chest at the prospect of what I was about to do, but I knew it had to be done. I walked over to the area that I had called my safe haven. I walked into the room where I had met the person who had helped me start a war.

I was in the maintenance repair room of one of the hangars, where I had fled for peace but found rebellion.

It was about time I talked with Giano.

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He was there, in the maintenance room, bent over a workbench. The sound of metal clanking on metal reached my ears. His blonde hair was ruffled and he was in full uniform. He hadn't even heard me come in.

"Gi -- Giano?" I tentatively called. Giano paused over his work and the muscles in his back tensed up. But he didn't acknowledge me. He just kept working on whatever he was working on and essentially ignored me.

"Giano." I more firmly said. The blonde ceremoniously dropped his tools onto the table in front of him in a very impatient manner and slowly turned to face me.

His facial expression was no longer hopeful or optimistic. Giano looks outright angry at the sight of me.

"What do you want?" The way he spat the words at me stung me.

"I want to talk to you." I stated clearly. I knew Giano was furious with me, but I decided to stand my tough ground.

He simply replied, "No.", and then went back to working on his workbench, turning his back to me.

I knew about what had happened to Giano. He had been taken back to the First Order's base from Theed, held in a prisoner's cell for a few hours, and given a fair trial in which he had been given heavy, heavy probation. I'm pretty sure Kylo had wanted him executed, but the court argued that most of the treason had been my fault, and my trial was coming up. I was so glad that Giano hadn't been given any time in prison. I personally knew how horrible those cell blocks are.

I took several brave steps until I was standing right to Giano's left, nearly leaning against his workbench. Giano froze again and I looked up into his face. He didn't turn to face me.

"What do you want, Nira?!" Giano desperately exclaimed after several seconds of silence.

I immediately shot back, "I said I want to talk to you! I didn't want to never talk to you again after everything we've been through!"

Giano scoffed and muttered, "Right."

I pulled my head back and frowned in surprise. "What do you even mean by that?"

Giano finally turned on me and got very close with my face, looking me directly in the eyes through his own furious ones. "I mean I didn't completely fall into your trap. You had me for a second there, but I'm fine now. I know you were just using me. Now I was doing just fine without your influence, so if you could please --" He pointed to the door and finished, "Go."

I was so taken aback it took me a few moments to recuperate. "Trap?! It was no trap, what I did!"

"You seriously expect me to believe that? I know exactly how much you don't care about me, Nira. Don't try to pretend like you were doing anything but using me to go behind your husband's back when I just wanted to help you." Giano's words were acid on my skin.

"I do care about you." I weakly whispered, and Giano's stubbornly angry expression barely faltered.

"I don't believe you." He said.

"I wasn't using you."

Giano merely rolled his eyes but I took ahold of his hesitation and ran with it. "I wasn't using you, Giano. I wouldn't do that. I do care about you. You took care of me when I needed it most."