“What the hell is going on?” My words come out a muddled mix of fear and demand.
He jerks his head toward me, cutting off my protest, his jaw set grimly, his eyes swimming with resolution. Though the picture of control, I can feel him coming apart next to me.
He takes a curve at neck-breaking speed and then a quick right onto the road that leads to my house. He remains mute as a thousand or more scenarios for his upset race through my mind just before he skids to a stop in the driveway. Before I can blink, he’s pulling me from the car and leading me into the house with his hand on my wrist. I fumble with my words as he unlocks the door.
“Tobias—”
Once inside, he presses me against it and gazes down at me.
“Explain yourself, right now, King. What happened?”
“What happened?” His tone is gravel. “I lost you. I fucking lost you. And I won’t do it again.”
I search his face for any clue as to what brought this on when my attention falls on the packed duffle bag sitting just a few feet away. He follows my line of sight and turns back to me, his intent clear.
He’s ready for this fight.
“DON’T YOU DARE LEAVE ME!” The voice is mine, the plea is from me, but it’s not my heart speaking. It’s my soul that’s screaming now.
“I have to. It’s just a few days. I’ll be back—”
“No!” I shake my head furiously. “No!”
“Trésor,” his voice wavers slightly, “please, look at me.” He’s fully intent on leaving me. I turn my head as the blow penetrates so deep, I’m unable to breathe. But something inside me cracks as I manage to find my fight, my body blistering with outrage.
“You promised we would make our decisions together. You promised never to leave me!”
“And you promised to let me protect you. A promise above all others.”
“No! A promise to you above all others I’ve made, not the promises you made to me. You’re not getting away with this. If you walk out this door, we’re done. You walk out this door. I won’t ever let you back in. Not ever.”
“I have to. I have to. And you have to trust me.”
I shake my head, incredulous. “You’re never going to stop breaking my heart, are you? You’re never going to stop lying to me!” I feel it then, the walls threatening to go up, and he can sense it too because I hear the pained grunt escape him as he presses in to try and get the response he wants.
“I have no choice, listen to me,” it’s an order. An order from the man who forced himself into my heart years ago. It’s my resurrected King speaking. It’s him who’s seeking an audience now—the man who’s planned and plotted his way around his whole life. The same man I took on years ago, and it’s the very same man I glare at now as he gazes down at me, his mind made up.
“I’m done listening, as long as that packed bag exists. Fuck you, Tobias.”
“Stop it, Cecelia,” he scolds, but I’m not having it. Not this time, and not any other.
“You leave, and we’re done. It’s that simple.”
The intensity and emotions rolling off him are far too potent to look away. It’s only the slap of my hand against his skin that brings relief, the pain I’m inflicting that releases the anger. I want to tear him apart for what he’s doing. Bitter tears spring to my eyes as he grips my hair in his fist, bending so we’re eye to eye.
“You have to trust me. I’m doing it so we can have more of this life together.”
“I don’t trust you. You haven’t earned my trust back yet. Not even close. And if you walk out this door, you’ll never have it, and you’ll never have me. Not fucking ever!”