As Yael placed the flower crown on my head, I noticed Whitney moving quietly in the distance. She was walking toward Vito with slow, careful steps.
Vito stood with his back to us, smoking near the edge of the field. The wind carried the faint scent of tobacco across the grass. Whitney slipped her arms around him from behind, pressing herself against his back.
The moment I saw it, my stomach dropped.
I understood immediately what she was trying to do.
Whitney was sacrificing her pride. She was trying to get the antidote from Vito for me.
That fool.
She had already suffered so much in this place. I couldn't let her humiliate herself again just because of me.
Vito looked startled. He dropped the cigarette at once and turned around, pulling Whitney into his arms as if reacting on instinct.
My view was suddenly blocked.
Yael stepped in front of me.
