The words hang between us, sharp and cutting and impossible to take back.
His face goes cold, completely shutting down. "Then leave."
"What?"
"If you don't want to be here, if you can't follow basic safety rules that are designed to keep you alive, then leave. Go back to your father. See if he'll take you back after you chose me."
"You know he won't."
"Then figure something else out. But I'm not going to stand here and watch you kill yourself because you can't stand being protected."
Tears are streaming down my face now, hot and angry and terrified. "You're being unfair."
"I'm being realistic. You went to a club. You were recognized. Those men were going to kill you, Aurora. Kill you and our baby, just to hurt me. Do you understand that? Do you understand what would have happened if I hadn't gotten there in time?"
I do. The terror of it is still fresh, still making my hands shake, still making my stomach churn with nausea that has nothing to do with pregnancy.
"I'm sorry," I whisper, my voice breaking.
"Sorry doesn't fix this." He moves toward the door, and I can see him physically holding himself back from saying more. "Sorry doesn't bring you back if you get killed because you wanted one night of fun."
"Where are you going?"
"Away from you. Before I say something I can't take back."
"Axel..."
But he's already gone, the door slamming behind him with a finality that echoes through the room.
I sink to the floor, not caring that it's undignified, not caring about anything except the sobs tearing out of my chest. Becausehe's right. I was reckless. I was stupid. I could have been killed. Could have lost the baby. Could have gotten Chloe and Tiana killed just because I wanted to feel normal for a few hours.
But I'm also right. I can't live like this. Can't spend the rest of my life locked away in a beautiful cage, afraid of shadows, never leaving, never living.
There has to be a middle ground. Has to be a way to be safe without losing myself completely. Without becoming someone I don't recognize.
But right now, sitting on the floor of Axel's office with tears running down my face and fear still coursing through my veins, I have no idea what that looks like.
All I know is we're breaking. Both of us. Under the weight of fear and anger and impossible choices that have no good answers.
And I don't know how to fix it.
23
AXEL
I can't stay away.
I've been pacing my room for two hours, trying to convince myself to leave her alone. To let the anger settle, let us both cool down, give this situation the space it probably needs. To be rational and measured like I've trained myself to be for twenty-five years.
But I can't. Because underneath the fury that's still simmering in my chest, there's fear. Raw, visceral terror that I almost lost her tonight.
Those men had their hands on her. Were going to kill her, probably torture her first to make it hurt more, to make themessage clearer. And I would have been too late. Thirty seconds later, and she would have been gone, dragged out that side exit into a waiting van.
The thought makes me physically sick.
I find myself outside her door at midnight, hand raised to knock but not quite making contact with the wood. My knuckles are inches from the surface, hovering there while I wage an internal war.
This is a bad idea. Walk away. Deal with this in the morning when you're both calmer.
