He had to push his emotions for Willow away.
Had he learned nothing about Willow Hawke? About the Hawke family? He didn’t belong with them. Yet, he couldn’t stop loving her. Every time he pictured her in his mind, an ache rose inside him. He wanted to be with her.
His heart shattered. How could she do this to him?
Angry, he grasped the reins tightly.
The horse reared onto its hind legs. Surprised and distracted, Christian lost his grip and slipped over the back of the steed, landing hard on his back. The breath was knocked out of his lungs, and he lay in the dirt of the road, staring at the twinkling stars above. The gems.
He slowly sat up. Gems. They weren’t gems, he thought bitterly. He saw the horse had halted down the road. He climbed to his feet. “You’re not gems,” he growled at the sky and marched back to the horse. “Just little bits of light twinkling…” He clenched his fists over the saddlebags. “False light! False hope,” he whispered.
He stood that way, his jaw tight, gazing into the darkness encompassing him. The image of Willow’s devastated gaze materialized in his mind. He bowed his head. What was he doing? He was running away. He had run all his life instead of facing his anger and hurt. Instead of fighting. He had promised Willow he would not leave. And no matter how much she hurt him, he still felt an obligation to her. He had to give her a chance to explain. He had to stop fleeing and face his resentment of his brother and Willow’s betrayal.
He would not run any longer.
He lifted his gaze to the stars.
He had to go back.
