Page 2 of Love & Heart Braking

“Nope. Can’t wait,” he said. “We need to go visit our friends. The ones you promised to see with me. They won’t let me in unless you’re there.”

The gnome focused on my fork as the berserker returned it to my plate. “Is there something more going on here?” the small descendant asked.

“No!” I said as Devereaux smirked and answered, “Yes.”

Purple crept over the gnome’s jaw. “Is it his height? Is that it?”

“Of course not. We—” I shot the berserker a glare. “We were recently dating.” Kind of. We’d never really gone on an official date. “It’s over.”

A flash of hurt flickered in Devereaux’s gaze, and I fell silent, a lump rising in my throat.

I glanced away.

“You’re protecting me from something, sweetheart,” he said in a low voice. “I need to know what’s going on.”

The lump rose higher.

I lifted my chin and met his gaze square on. “There’s nothing to tell.”

His second flash of hurt was a dagger under my ribs.

Devereaux rested his hands against the white picket fence surrounding the restaurant. “If you truly don’t want this, then I need it directly from your mouth. Look me in the eyes and convince me you’re not doing this because of that caring heart of yours.”

My caring heart. Yeah. My caring heart had gotten me into trouble, just like Fenton predicted.

I tried to hold Devereaux’s furious glare. But though I may still conceal my real type from him, I couldn’t lie to the only man I’d ever loved.

I shifted my focus over his shoulder.

Devereaux straightened. “That’s what I thought.”

On my lap, my hands curled to fists. “It doesn’t change anything.”

“Something has changed. Who did Vera sell the intellectual rights of the curse to?” he demanded.

Trust him to get to the root of things.

“She couldn’t say,” I replied.

A growl built in his chest, and his irises switched to an electric blue before returning to the usual cool gray shade. His predator would drive him nuts trying to figure out the truth.

I couldn’t say how my battle with the twelve would work out, or how long it may take, so I had a duty to give Devereaux closure and a clean break, so he’d be free to move on in the meantime.

Or forever.

My stomach churned again.

I took a breath. “Devereaux, look. There are things you don’t know. Things I can’t share with you. Because of that, we can’t be together because it puts you at risk.” I licked my lips. “Nothing that happened between us was a lie, just like I said on the voice mail, and I realize this is confusing, and that you probably think I’m the worst person in the world.”

Ah, shitballs. Tears gathered in my eyelashes.

He whipped out a hand, tilting my face so I was forced to look at him again. “That’s not what I think. I think you’re stuck. It’s my fault because you don’t feel you can come to me.”

No. That wasn’t it. The twelve were… no one person could go up against them. That was why Fenton was gathering allies, why I’d decided to make a deal with the most corrupt families in Nepos. Telling Devereaux would involve him and put his life in jeopardy.

I blinked a few times. “I’m a grown woman. I can handle my own problems.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to do everything yourself.”

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