“Okay then. I’ve got something I want to say.”
“I don’t want to hear it.”
His jaw tenses as he glares into the forest. I’m not sure if he’s searching for someone, something, or if he’s trying to avoid looking at me.
“Too bad.”
My Chaos pushes toward him a touch more. His attention snaps back to me, and he narrows his eyes.
“The last thing I care for right now is for my Harmony to be in control. Get whatever you’ve got going on in check.”
“There is no getting it in check, Riven.”
“Don’t lie to me!”
His voice thunders through the forest, and I bite my lip as I pull my power back to me. The swirling in his irises stops, and he breathes an annoyed huff as neither color tries to take over.
“Thought so. Thanks a lot. Your big emotions just had to come in here and fuck up my swim.”
I stare as I get the words in my mind right. I’m not falling for his bait. He doesn’t get to push me away. If he doesn’t want to talk about what happened yet, that’s fine, but I’m going to say what I need to.
Valories fucking forbid something else happens and I don’t get this out there.
“Tell me the truth, angel. You’ve already chosen them, so does that mean you don’t have enough room left in your soul to accept me for me?”
His irritated twitching freezes as he stares at me with wide eyes.
“Those were your exact words. That’s what you asked me to clarify that day when Amick announced our relationship. I told you I never said that. Then, in the hot spring in Oddian, you asked me not to give up on you. I didn’t. In that moment, in my mind, I declared you were mine. Now I need to know the same. Can you accept me for me, or have you given up on me?”
“Thayla…”
“No. I don’t want a soft whisper of my name. I want an answer. I’ve waited and waited. I’ve accepted. You are mine. Now I need to know the truth. You can’t pretend any longer that you don’tknow what’s happening. You know your Harmony is responding to my Chaos. Our Chaoses will never be the same. Can you accept that? Accept me for me?”
He scoffs like he can’t believe I just asked him that. Rage bleeds through me.
“I should’ve fucking known this is how this would go.”
The fury—embarrassment—pounding through me has me turning around and marching back toward the stairs.
My foot doesn’t land on the first step before I’m jerked back by my hand. He swiftly places me exactly where he wants.
One hand tangles in my hair at the base of my neck while the other wraps around my jaw.
“Don’t run from me.” His soft tone pierces through the first layer of my anger.
“You’re running from me.”
“Not you. Never you.”
I suck in a deep breath and exhale slowly.
“It’s selfish of me to push this conversation right this minute. I know that, but I can’t help it. I can’t lose this opportunity to another interruption. I can’t lose you, Riven. Never again. Ineedto know you feel the same.”
His gaze bores into mine, searching for something, and guilt attempts to plunge through my heart. I shut it down, though. We both need this understanding. Right now.
He needs to believe that I will always, undeniably, accept him. No matter what happened or what will continue to happen. I will forever be here for him.
“What makes you fear I can’t accept you?” he asks so quietly, I barely hear it.
