"Jesus Christ, why does everyone think I was having a fucking party with Kavinsky?" Ronan snaps, the air around him turning cold as cloud cover rolls in. It's a useless question. Ronan knows why. Namely, because he never gave any of them reason to believe otherwise, least of all Adam. Because the longer Adam goes without knowing, the greater the chance he'll be able to move on. And then maybe Ronan can move on, bringing the sway of Cabeswater with him.

"He was teaching me how to control this... this fucked up thing, okay? I thought Adam was gone. I thought he went home. Hell, I fucking wanted him to be because there's fuck-all for him here. He's spent his whole life trying to get out of one prison only to be locked into another."

Into two, really. Darrow and Ronan, by way of Cabeswater's influence.

"I didn't fuck Kavinsky," he adds, his tone still biting as he pushes up to his feet, holding the guitar by its neck, muscles quivering. "I'm not with him, I'm not fucking dating him, and the fact that any of you believe I'd ever choose him over--"

A crack of thunder cuts Ronan off abruptly and the sky opens above their heads. Ronan doesn't shield himself from the downpour and every nerve and muscle in his body aches to shatter the guitar over his knee. "Whatever, you all know me so fucking well, don't you? The jury's already made it's fucking decision so just leave me alone."