Page 41 of His Fate
"There is only one explanation." Gently, I grab her elbow. "Posey, we need to talk."
Her body stiffens immediately but she allows me to guide her around the broken glass and lead her to the couch where we both sit.
Posey nervously picks at the frayed edges of the hole in her jeans, eyes downcast, pulse thundering against the delicate skin of her neck. I can smell the sweet citrus of her fear, the dull undertone of hyacinth—heartache; the faintest layer of orange blossom—eternal love, as well as a hint of the sulfuric stench of anger.
If I wasn't so fearful myself I'd smile at that.
I stare at her for a moment, let my eyes trace the beautiful silhouette of her profile, the soft curves of her body. My beloved is gorgeous, and despite the way she will not look at me and the clear sadness on her face, Posey's posture speaks of so much strength.
My mate is so goddamn strong.
Which is why I still have hope that she will accept me, love me, believe me when I open my heart to her.
I clear my throat. "Posey, I have enjoyed our time—"
"Just get it over with, Kai." The unshed tears swimming in her eyes when she finally looks up completely guts me. "Spare me the 'it's not you, it's me' bullshit. I don't need you to sugarcoat anything."
I shake my head in confusion. "I don't understand."
"Right." Posey rolls her eyes and a tear slips down her cheek. "I just wish you hadn't brought me all the way out here to break up with me. That's really fucking shitty."
"Break up with you?"
She nods. "That's what this is, right? You trying to let me down easy, end things on a fucking high note?" Then she frowns. "Then again, we'd have to actually be dating for that to happen and since you barely even kissed me for most of the week, we must not have been. God, I'm so stupid. I should have known someone like you would never—"
"Posey, stop."
Her mouth snaps shut, her lips pressed into a tight line but not tight enough to prevent her lower lip from quivering.
I need to hurry this along or else I'm going to go to pieces over her obvious pain.
"Posey, I am not breaking up with you." She goes to speak but I hold up my hand. "And yes, we are together so if I were an idiot I could break up with you, but that's not what this is, my beloved."
She still doesn't speak but her thoughts roar.
Then why did you barely kiss me?
Why was there still some sort a wall keeping us apart?
He's probably embarrassed to be with me. God, Kai deserves so much better.
Maybe I should break up with him.
Why does the idea of breaking up with him hurt so fucking bad?
I squeeze my eyes shut and shake my head. "Josephine, stop, please."
"Oh god, did I say that out loud?"
The moment of truth.
My stomach twists and my hands shake but I look her in the eye.
"No, you did not but I heard you loud and clear. I didn't kiss you the way I wanted to because I couldn't, not yet. There isn't a wall between us but there is something I have to tell you that's kept us at arm’s length. I am not embarrassed to be with you. I'm proud, so goddamn proud and I want all of the world to know that we belong to each other and so help me gods if you even try to break up with me I will sit outside your bedroom window, your front door, your places of employment every hour of every day until you change your mind."
Posey blinks. Her jaw drops. Her eyes bulge before she blinks again.
"This conversation is long overdue but not because I'm ending our relationship. I'm actually hoping to deepen it." I sigh and push my hands back through my hair. "I have to tell you something and I beg that you just listen. Please."
