“Zara is not a subject you get to dissect whenever you’re curious.”
My fingers curled into the blanket.
“You provoked me.”
His voice lowered dangerously.
“And before you say anything, I know exactly what I did. I know I went too far. I know I lost control.”
Another pause.
“But if you insist on touching wounds you don’t understand, eventually you’ll get hurt.”
I stared into the darkness that had been my world for years.
The irony almost made me laugh.
I had nearly frozen to death. And somehow he was still warning me about getting hurt.
“Is this your version of an apology?” I asked quietly.
Rafael didn’t answer.
A slow, disbelieving laugh escaped me. “Unbelievable.”
“It’s barely been three minutes since I woke up. Three minutes, Rafael.”
I swallowed hard. “And somehow you’ve already managed to turn this into my fault.”
The silence that followed was sharp enough to cut.
“You know what?”
I shifted against the pillows despite the pain shooting through my body.
“I would be a complete fool to stay in this marriage.”
My voice came out steadier than I expected, even with the pain still threading through my body.
“I was not forced into this marriage,” I continued. “I did it for Tess. I chose it. But I think I’ve reached my limit.”
Silence.
“I can endure pain,” I said quietly. “I already have. I have endured more than you think I can. But not this. I did not agree to become collateral damage for your grief.”
The words hung between us, heavy and final.
“You want to spend the rest of your life mourning Zara?” My voice sharpened. “Then do it. Go on. But leave me out of it.”
My fingers curled into the blanket as I forced the next words out, each one cutting deeper than the last.
“I won’t be the person you punish for someone else’s death.”
A painful knot tightened in my throat.
“As soon as I can walk out of this hospital on my own two feet, I’m leaving you,” I said, voice steady despite the tremor in my chest. “I’ll make sure you never find me.”
Rafael’s low, dangerous chuckle sent a shiver down my spine.
