“Why exactly are you angry, Amara?” His voice was calm—too calm. “You were happy with the arrangement back then, weren’t you?”
I froze, my breath catching in my throat.
Happy?
He really thought that? My chest burned.
I turned to face him, my fingers curling into a fist. “You think I was happy?”
“That I was happy back then and agreed to it doesn’t mean I will now.”
I reached for his hand, the one gripping mine, and pulled it away.
“I was living a happy life here before you showed up, Xander,” I said, my tone softer now, filled with exhaustion. “Please, don’t ruin it for me.”
He exhaled, my name slipping from his lips in a breathy plea. “Ama—”
“Go back to where you came from,” I cut him off. “Disappear from my life and stop showing up in my face. Please.”
For a moment, he just st
