Page 233 of Modern Romance Collection February 2025, 1-4

‘Dominic? Say something, please.’ She was still standing in front of the fire, tear tracks shining on her cheeks, her brown eyes full of anguish.

An anguish he was going to make worse, and he hated himself for it. But it was the only way.

He met her gaze. ‘Say something?’ he repeated. ‘Say what?’

‘I don’t know. Anything.’

‘Fine.’ Slowly he rose from the couch. ‘Then how about this? I won’t take you away from your trees. But you’re right, I didn’t choose this life and I didn’t choose you. So maybe it is time for me to walk away.’

Her eyes darkened with pain. ‘I... Yes, okay. And...our son?’

It was the first time she’d said ‘our son’ and that hurt too, but, again, he ignored it. ‘He can stay here with you.’ He had to force out the words, even as the snarling beast inside him ripped at the bars of the cage he’d trapped it in. ‘I would never take him away from you and I’d...like him to be taught to care for the forest.’

‘You can stay,’ she said abruptly. ‘It’s not fair that you should have to leave, because of me. It’s your house. I can go, I don’t have to—’

‘No,’ he interrupted immediately, his tone fierce. ‘I’m not forcing you to leave your forest. It’s yours.’

Her brown eyes were full of tears, the gold drowned beneath them. ‘It’s not mine. It’s your home.’

It was and yet he’d never felt at home here. Not until she’d come.

And while she’s here, you can never stay.

Of course, he couldn’t. This house and its grounds would be off-limits for him for ever. The temptation she presented would be too great, and he’d manipulate her, use her for his own ends, and end up hurting her worse than he was doing now. And he just couldn’t allow that.

‘It was yours more than it ever was mine,’ he said and when she opened her mouth to protest, he added, ‘I’m not arguing, Maude. It will be my legacy to my son. Keep it. For him.’

She nodded, standing rigidly in front of the fire as another tear slid down her cheek. And he wanted to close the distance, wipe that tear away then pull her into his arms and make her forget all about love and how it could hurt, but he didn’t.

Instead he said, ‘I’ll leave tonight. No point in drawing this out any longer than it needs to be.’

She looked so fragile standing there in his sweatshirt, holding herself so stiffly it was as if she was afraid one touch would shatter her.

His lovely nymph.

‘I would keep you if I could,’ he said finally, unable to stay silent in this last terrible moment. ‘I don’t want to let you go. But if anyone deserves to be loved, Maude, it’s you, and if I can’t, you need to find someone else who will.’

Another tear slid slowly down her cheek. ‘I won’t,’ she said, and he could hear all the force of her strong, stubborn will behind the words. ‘There won’t be anyone else but you, badger.’

He’d had no idea this would hurt so much or even why it did, but there was no other option. Walking away was all he could do.

His heart felt as if it were burning away, leaving nothing but ash as, without another word, he turned and strode from the room.

Yet he didn’t hesitate.

And she didn’t call him back.

CHAPTER TWELVE

DOMINICHADBEENgone a week and Maude was worse than miserable, she was broken-hearted. She dragged herself around the forest, but not even the trees could comfort her, not this time.

She knew she’d done the right thing. She knew. But that little selfish piece of her kept crying and crying because he’d gone. Because he’d done exactly what she’d told him to do and walked away from her, and now there’d be emptiness in her heart for ever.

A just punishment, really, for how she’d lied to him and for how she’d given him nothing, while he’d given her the world and everything in it.

It was only fair that he walked away and only fair that he couldn’t love her back. He’d been clear right from the start about the kind of arrangement they’d had, and if she was the one wanting more, then she should have stopped it right in the beginning.

Except she hadn’t known she’d even want more, not until it was too late.

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