Page 55 of The Promise

“So, you’re just going for a meeting somewhere? Is it for a few hours, or—”

It was like a dagger was being thrust deep inside him and twisted into his heart before being ripped back out again. Emotional pain was just as real as physical, he was learning.

“No, not for a few hours. I have to go back home for a while. I’ll leave tomorrow, so we’ll have tonight together before I head out. At least.”

He offered that lamely.

She didn’t miss it.

Karine squinted, her brows dipping dangerously as her eyes flashed like lightning. Through tight lips, she asked, “For how long?”

“I don’t know,” he had to admit.

Not that he wanted to.

He wouldn’t lie, though.

Not to her.

She shook her head, and before he could reach for or stop her, Karine had twisted away from him and was running back in the direction of the lake.

He considered letting her go—but not for long.

Roman headed down the pathway after her, but not with quite as much speed. She was too close to the lake, and he’d seen that look in her eyes before when she first saw it—like she’d already decided that if things ever got worse, that’s where she’d be headed. Deep under those calm, dark waters. He didn’t trust her to not hurt herself, not when she felt like he was betraying her. Even if that wasn’t true. That didn’t mean her feelings weren’t quite real to her.

He reached her just at the bottom of the hill, some distance from the lake, thankfully. Catching her from behind, he pinned her to his chest. Her breaths came out hard, and he could feel her quivering, her shoulders heaving. She didn’t fight—too hard.

“Karine, stop, please, you need to talk to me,” he murmured in her ear, dragging in her floral scent with his next inhale. She always smelled like a wild meadow, fresh and free.

She relaxed quickly, sooner than he expected, really, her muscles lightening in his hold. She liked being held by him as much as he liked holding her. If only that was the case now. He loosened his grip on her, but that was a mistake. She slipped away from him.

“Karine, stop!” Roman grabbed her wrists that time, refusing to let her go even if she did flinch from his tight hold. “You’re not going to do this right now.”

His words didn’t help.

“You don’t have to worry, Roman,” Karine hissed, her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t want to jump in the lake, I just want to get away from you.”

Fuck.

Those were the words to kill him.

That was all he needed to see.

Karine crying was his kryptonite. He released his grip, and she stepped away from him, but then she stopped. With eyes already reddened from the tears flowing freely down her cheeks, she glared. If only she’d just listen ... let him talk, then maybe he could explain—

“So, when were you going to tell me that you’ve brought me here just to leave me as soon as you could, huh?”

Her lips quivered, and he could tell it was hard for her to get the words out. But she believed them, too. Every single one of them. That’s what made this harder.

If only she would just let him hold her then he would try and make this better, but he couldn’t. She didn’t want him to. He held his hands up where she could see them, clear as day.

He was not a threat.

Not to her.

“I didn’t know when to bring it up,” he replied honestly, “Or when it would’ve been appropriate. I wanted to give you a chance to settle in here, first.”

“No. You were just going to disappear. That’s what your plan is. To avoid any conflict. I’m not stupid, Roman.”