Page 126 of The Off-Limits Play

That’s what I deserve.

“Look, you’re obviously going through something, and I’m here for you. I won’t touch you or get too close. I’ll just stand over here and wait for you to regulate, okay? But when you’re ready, I’ll?—”

“No,” I rasp, forcing my eyes to open and look at her beautiful face.

Even the fact that she has to say this shit is killing me. I’m like some untamable beast, and I won’t let her do this to herself.

Her eyebrows pinch together as she licks her lips, then calmly says, “Okay, well, what do you want to do? Should we watch a movie or?—”

“We’re done.” I force out the words.

She tips her head like she doesn’t get what I’m saying. “Excuse me?”

“We’re done, Nylah. We’re over. Whatever the fuck this has been”—I flick my finger between us“—it’s ending right now.”

CHAPTER49

NYLAH

The words are nails driving straight into my heart, making it pulse and beat out of time. I can feel the blood pooling in my chest as I try to hold myself together.

Clenching my jaw, I pull in a few quick breaths and tell him in no uncertain terms, “That’s a bit of bullshit right there. We’re not over.”

“Yes, we are,” he hisses. “I don’t want to be with you anymore.”

“Bullshit!” I bite back.

“I’m not good for you.”

I punch a finger into my chest. “That’s up to me to decide.”

“No, we’re over.” He stands tall, looking annoyingly determined to see this through.

“No, we’re not!” I shout back, walking across the room and shoving his chest. “You love me, you asshole. You love me!”

He remains unmoved by my tiny fists pounding on his chest. Clenching his jaw, he takes each blow, looking away from me and gritting out, “Just walk away.”

“No!” I shove him again, tears starting to burn and bubble as I take in his unmoving expression. “Please,” I whimper. “Don’t do this. We’re not over, okay? We love each other.”

“I hurt you,” he mumbles.

“And I forgive you.” I step into his space, holding his cheeks and trying to make him look at me.

He turns to marble—an unrelenting statue, resisting my touch until I have to let him go with a desperate little cry.

My anger is evaporating, replaced with this weeping panic that’s sweeping through me and making my heart bleed out that much faster.

“Please, don’t do this,” I beg him.

“Get away from me.” His voice is shaking, his tone cold and icy.

“Carson, look at me.” I try one more time to reach for him, but he bats my hands away. “Please look at me.”

He shakes his head, turning his face away. “Just go.”

“No, Carson. Stop this. Please, just look at me.”

“Go away.”

---