Firelight Confession

Kate's POV

I stormed into my tent alone, shaking with anger I couldn't burn off.

Bellamy followed.

"Kate, what happened back there?" he asked gently.

"He used me," I choked, and I dropped to my knees, finally letting it hit me. He caught me before I hit the ground. "He used me to find Mount Weather so he could gear up for revenge."

Bellamy didn't say anything.

"And the Grounders?" I said, looking up at him with wet, furious eyes. "They never even knew where we were. All that time I thought we were hunted because of him, and it was a lie."

Bellamy frowned. "But Murphy said the Grounders—"

"Yeah, maybe stop trusting anything that comes out of his mouth," I snapped.

I scrubbed at my face. "Three years, Bellamy. I spent three years trying to find him. Three years saying no to anyone who even looked at me wrong. And now he tells me I was just part of his plan. He never loved me."

Bellamy pulled me in and held me tight. "Kate, you know that's not true."

"Is it?" I whispered. "He took my first time and then five days later he was pointing a gun at my face."

Bellamy let out a slow breath. "You're hurt. I get that."

"Then why did he lie to me?" I demanded.

"Because sometimes lying is easier than saying the truth out loud," he said quietly. "Especially when the truth is ugly."

I pressed my forehead into his chest and let the tears come. For a minute, I didn't have to be in charge. For a minute, I didn't have to hold this place up.

I just let myself break