Page 146 of The Silent War
His grip tightened. “No..no, baby.No.This isn’t how we end.”
“I’m not your future. I’m nostalgia.” My throat tightened. “I’m sorry. But I can’t do this again.”
“Yes, you can,” he begged, “Youcan.Let us in again..let me in. I’ll be better. I’ll be different. I swear to God, Emilia…just give us one more chance?—”
I cupped his face. Forced him to look at me.
“Bastion.Listen to me.”
His breathing hitched.
“It’s over,” I said it clean enough it wouldn’t kill me. “We’reover. We ended three years ago at the Academy. You just didn’t say it out loud.”
“No,” he shook his head, again and again. “No, don’t say that. Don’t fucking say that, Emilia?—”
“You can’t rip my heart apart again, and leave me bleeding in another man’s arms.”
“I wouldnever?—”
“Youdid.You already did.”
Tears blurred my vision.
“I love you,” He pulled me into him like holding tighter could stop me from slipping away. “I love you so fucking much, baby, I’ll doanything.”
I kissed his forehead, slow and soft.Then I shifted my weight off his lap, my hands bracing against the couch to climb off him.
“No—” His arms wrapped around my waist, dragging me back to him as he collapsed to the floor, kneeling, still holding on like letting go would kill him. “No, baby,please.Don’t do this. Don’t walk away from me. I’ll fix it. I swear to God, I’ll fixeverything.”
His voice cracked.
“I’ll burn for you. I’ll bleed. I’ll never stop proving it…I swear, I’ll never stop. Just don’t go. Don’t leave me like this.”
He buried his face against my stomach, his arms locked around me so tightly it hurt, like he could keep me if he just held hard enough.
“I can’t breathe without you,” he rasped. “I can’t fucking breathe.”
And I stood there, frozen in his grip.
Tears running down my cheeks, but I didn’t touch him. Because I’d already said goodbye.
And if I touched him now, Iwouldn’tleave.
“Please,Bastion.”
But he was already shaking his head. Still on his knees, still clutching me like something sacred.
“Iwon’tstop. You think I can just let you go? Watch you walk into someone else’s fucking arms?”
He looked up at me, with tears and rage and love all in one storm. “No. No, baby. Where you go, wego.That’s the deal.”
I shook my head, tears falling faster now. “You can’t do this to me.”
“Ialready did.” He gripped tighter. “And I’ll do worse. Luca killed three prospects, I swear to God, that’s the pattern now.”
“Bastion—”
“Anyone who tries to be your husband,” he growled, “any man whodaresto love you inour placewill die.”
