ETHAN
I watched her retreat with a sharp, agonizing blow settling deep inside me. I could have stopped her easily, pulled her back into my arms in an instant, even forced her to stay if that’s what it took to keep her close. But if I did, I’d be the one who suffered the real, lasting damage. She might never trust me again, probably never even speak to me too. Taking her by force, and unleashing the raw power I kept hidden, would destroy the fragile bond we’d just begun to build. That kind of coercion would poison everything between us. I am not risking that to lose what I valued most. So I let her go, give her the time to face her feelings and, hopefully, come back to me on her own terms. If she didn’t return, I’d have no choice but to force her to face the painful truth, everything I’d
