Page 56 of Triton

His eyes shot daggers at me. “Love me? You love me? You don’t have a fucking clue what love is. I would’ve done anything for you. Anything. Do you know that? I was crazy about you. I saw a future with us. But you used me. You ghosted me. And now you show up here and make me the laughing stock of the Teams. You make me sick. I can never be with you. Never.”

I placed my hand on his waist, but he pushed it off. “I’m sorry. I didn’t have a choice. You told me you didn’t think women should be SEALs. You wouldn’t have supported me. I didn’t want to date you. In fact, I told you no when you asked me out because I didn’t want any complications. But you asked me out in front of your family. And you wore me down, so I figured why not? What could ithurt?”

“Gee thanks,” he snarled.

I withered under his icy glare but forced myself to go on. “I didn’t want to fall for you. I fought it every step of the way. But I couldn’t help it.” I sniffled, and a tear rolled down my cheek. “I fell in love with you, Erik. I still love you—nothing has changed for me. Time has stood still for my heart. When I realized that I loved you, I knew I should’ve told you about joining, but I couldn’t. I was scared to death. I’ve never been scared of anything in my life. You have to believeme.”

For a second, I thought I had gained an ounce of understanding. He pursed his lips and focused on myface.

“I don’t believe you. I don’t want anything to do with you. You are my student. And you won’t be for long. You will ring that goddam bell, no matter what the brass tells me. The sooner, the better. Goodbye, Aria.”

He grabbed my wrist, pushed me out of his place, and slammed thedoor.

I couldn’t move. The emotion I’d been holding in for months poured out. The sobs came heavy, my chest contracting.

He had been right. I should’ve been honest. But I had been so scared because of his strong feelings about women in combat. Couldn’t he realize that? How could I have ever told him the truth?

I pulled myself together and left the building.

Erik was right about my deception.

But he was wrong about one thing.

I would never ring thatbell.