I force myself to keep my voice calm.
“You are hurting. You are shaken. Right now, you do not know how much of what you feel is because I was the one who carried you out of that house.”
The second the words leave my mouth, I know I chose wrong.
Kaia goes completely still, and her eyes harden.
“Do not tell me what I feel.”
“That is not what I meant.”
“It is exactly what you meant.”
“No.”
“You think I kissed you because I am confused.”
“I think tonight changed everything.”
“For me.”
“Yes.”
“And somehow that means you know what is happening inside my head better than I do?”
I release her face.
“Kaia.”
“Stop saying my name like that.”
Her voice breaks.
A tear slips down her cheek.
Something inside me tears open.
I would rather take another burn than watch that.
My hand lifts before I can stop it.
She turns her face away.
That hurts more than it should.
“I want to be alone.”
Every instinct in me rejects the words.
I want to stay. I want to wipe the tear from her face, pull her back into my arms, and explain this until she understands that I am trying to protect her from me.
But she asked me to leave.
So I stand.
“All right.”
Her eyes stay lowered.
