I turned, and there he was—Darian—walking toward me with that same look in his eyes I’d seen too many times lately: sadness, longing, and something more dangerous beneath.
I considered standing and walking away, but I knew it would be pointless. He’d follow.
“Darian,” I said flatly, my expression hard.
“My Mara,” he said gently, voice breaking around the edges.
He stopped just a few feet from me. The pain in his eyes was real, but it didn’t justify what he said next.
“Why did you fall for him so quickly?” he asked. “You don’t even know him, Mara. He’s not stable. He’s—”
“Stop,” I cut in, voice sharp. “You need to stop this, Darian. It’s unhealthy.”
He pressed forward anyway, desperate.
“I’m sorry I didn’t say how I felt earlier. I thought we had time. I thought you’d always be ther
