“You can't be alone in a moment like this.”
“I believe I have to be,” I said.
“This is unwise,” he said, his eyes hardened—not hostile, but the disappointment was clear. My heart squeezed in my chest and I looked away, unable to hold his gaze. He moved toward me and I stepped back until I hit the table, clutching my hands at the edge of it. I cannot go with him.
“I thought we were coming to the stage of acceptance,” he said in a low, intense voice.
“Acceptance of what, exactly? I don't expect from you what you want me to accept.”
He narrowed his eyes at me and I watched as his jaw tightened. He leaned in, and I leaned back, trying to put some distance between us, but my heart raced as his thick scent—coffee and rain—washed over me. I swallowed.
“Why don't you…” He seemed to take a de
