The Broken Ones | REYLO [Complete]

16. You're Not Alone

--Kylo Ren--

She is intriguing, to say the least.

Aggravating, infuriating, completely and utterly naive and foolish, yes. Obviously. But still, something about her gets under my skin and irks me. Me, Kylo Ren, second in command to the most powerful being in the galaxy. Why, you ask? I wish I knew.

I try to figure it out as I sit here choking down my bland breakfast. She sits across the mess hall from me, silent as she listens to the no doubt stimulating conversation going on between the pilot, who is obviously in love with her, and the traitor, who is also obviously in love with her. I bet she has no idea. Like I said. Naive.

There's a quick little ripple in the Force that lets me know she senses my stare. I look away just as she glances my way. I can practically hear her eyes roll from here.

"Ben?"

The hair on the back of my neck pricks. Oh, how I wish they would stop using that name. Ben is long dead.

"Yes, mother?" I grumble.

"Did you forget about our meeting ten minutes ago, or were you planning to avoid it in favor of staring at Rey?" Her words are stern, but her tone suggests amusement. I, on the other hand, am furious.

I stand up abruptly, causing enough noise that most of the mess hall turns to stare at me. I glare at each of them in turn, daring them to keep looking. They don't.

"I wasn't staring, I was observing," I growl, stalking down the corridor that leads to the command center. My mother chuckles behind me, only causing my displeasure to increase. I hate every single person on this damned base.

The door to the command center slides shut behind us with a hiss. Like every day before today, the only other people in the room are my mother and my uncle. I sigh impatiently and sit before them. "Let's just get this over with. I have more important things to do than waste my days away ignoring your questions."

"Ben, the sooner you help us the sooner we can be off this planet and back to our normal lives," Luke urges. "You can start over, nothing holding you down, no alliances. You can get your life back."

"I don't want my old life back," I snap. "I was foolish and weak, easily manipulated. The person I used to be was destroyed with the Jedi temple. Who I am now is better. Stronger."

"This isn't you, Ben. I know you're still in there. My son is still alive." Leia kneels in front of me, hands on my knees, begging me to look at her. I avoid eye contact, knowing it will upset her.

"I will tell you the same thing I have been telling you every day for the past TEN DAYS!" The walls tremble with the force of my rage, and my mother backs away from me. "You. Will. Not. Change. Me," I grit out, teeth clenched so hard my jaw begins to ache. I'm towering over her, engulfing her in shadow, but there is no fear in her eyes. Only regret.

Luke and Leia exchange glances, as if conversing. "Maybe we can't," my mother says gently, "but someone else can. She already has."

Rage courses through my veins and I slam my fists down on the console in front of me, sending sparks flying. The lights around us flicker and the air in the room buzzes with the Force. "Don't try to bring me back here again," I hiss. "You won't like the consequences if you do." With that I turn on my heel and storm out of the room. I won't tolerate such disrespect.

As I turn the corner I run headlong into the girl from the other day. Helena, maybe? Hera? I didn't care enough to pay attention.

She gasps and fear takes over, paralyzing her. I raise my hand to shove her out of the way. She flinches, expecting a hard blow, but my hand stops mid-air. Growling in anger, I turn to see Rey with her hand outstretched toward mine.