Emotional Storm II

The words hit her like a physical blow. Her hand fell away from his face, and she took a step back. The light in her eyes dimmed, replaced by something harder, more guarded.

"I see." Her voice was steady, but he caught the tremor underneath.

"You don't understand—"

"No, I understand perfectly." She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly looking fragile in the lamplight. "You've made your position clear."

Darius watched her retreat, both physically and emotionally. Part of him wanted to reach for her, to take back the words that had built a wall between them. But the other part—the part that had been trained since birth to think of duty first—held him back.

"Rosana, please. Let me explain."

She laughed, but there was no humor in it. "What's to explain? You choose duty over desire. Honor over happiness. It's very noble of you, really."

"That's not what this is about."