Page 30 of Her Overprotective Fiance

No. Oh no. No.

I don't want to hear this, God.

I can't.

But it's too late.

The moment Giancarlo's voice turns hoarse, something inside of me starts to stir.

And the moment I see him close his eyes as if his own eyes have him trapped, it's that same thing which comes into life—-

No. No. No.

I watch Giancarlo's fists clench as he fights off his demons. I watch him drag air into his lungs as he frees himself from the past all on his own. When he opens his eyes again, it's the same Giancarlo that I know.

The same Giancarlo that has been by my side for the past four years.

He looks at me again, and it's the same dark eyes that have been watching me...and watchingoverme all this time.

"Do you understand now?"

His voice is gentle once more. It's as if I only imagined the hoarseness I heard earlier. It's only as if I imagined his pain. Andvulnerability.But I know I didn't, and I also know I'll never be able to forget it...even if I wished I could.

"That is all it takes to lose everything. To be at the wrong place."

Yes, dammit.

How can Inotget it when he's cut his heart out just to make his point?

"And so do you also understand why I will never let you go?"

To deny this would be a lie, but even so—-

"We both know you're not stupid," I say stiltedly. "So you have to know that it's not your fault—-"

"You have never been stupid either," Giancarlo interjects flatly, "but did you not once blame yourself for being abducted and almost raped?"

"That's in the past—-"

"But if you found out another girl is to be abducted and raped, and you have a chance to put a stop to it, would you not do everything to save her?"

Fuck.

I hate, hate,hatethis part of him, too.

I hate it when he's always the one to remind me that both of us are peas from the same fucking pod.

I hate it when he makes it sound like the two of ustogethermakesbeautifulsense.

I hate it, dammit.

But not as much as I fear it, and that's why—-

"What's up with this, anyway?"

I find myself changing the subject like a coward, and all so I don't have to hear him say words that make it seem like the two of us aredestined.

Because we're fucking not.

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