Page 256 of Power Play

I swallowed against the pain gathering in my throat.

“I’ll be damned if I beg you for it.”

Her face broke. “Ryan.”

“You need to choose.”

“I’m trying.”

“You’re stalling, and eventually, this becomes yes or no.”

“Then give me time.”

“I have.”

The answer landed hard.

“So what?” she demanded. “If I can’t magically undo twenty-three years before Thanksgiving, you’re done?”

“No.”

Charm waited.

“If you can’t decide whether you’re willing to stand beside me when they hate it, I’m done.”

Her face went white. I felt sick, but I didn’t take it back.

“If it isn’t me, I’ll get over you.”

Charm looked like I had slapped her. I almost hated myself for the next sentence.

“I’ve lost much worse.”

The silence that followed was brutal.

Charm stared at me with tears running down her face, and I watched every soft thing between us disappear behind the hurt. Maybe hurting her was what finally made the danger real to her, or maybe I had just destroyed the best thing that had ever happened to me.

I couldn’t tell anymore.

I turned away before I caved.

“Ryan.”

I kept walking.

“Ryan, don’t do this.”

I stopped at the hallway without turning around. “I’m not disappearing.”

Her breath caught.

“I’m not punishing or mistreating you.” I looked back at her. “I’m pissed, and I need space before I say something worse.”

She hugged both arms around herself. “You said you’d get over me.”

“If you choose them over us, I’ll have to. It will hurt like fuck, but I will get over you.”

Her face crumpled again, and I hated everything about the moment.