“It’s good strategy.”
“It’s stupid.”
His expression darkens. “Watch your mouth.”
“No,” I fire back. “You watch yours. You think signing a piece of paper fixes this? You think my Father gives a damn about legal technicalities? He’ll burn the church down with us inside it.”
“Then let him try.”
“That’s not brave,” I snap. “That’s reckless.”
“I can protect you,” his nostrils flare.
“You can’t even protect yourself from him.”
The second it leaves my mouth I want to snatch it back. It hits him like a physical blow.
“You don’t believe in me?”
“This isn’t about belief.”
“It’s about love.” I freeze as he steps closer, “I love you.”
My breath catches, it feels criminal that only a few hours ago he was whispering that to me in this very room. If heart ache could, it would bleed out of me. I feel it in my ribs, in my throat, in every stupid, traitorous part of me that believes this is enough.
“Do you love me?”
My heart pounds so hard it hurts at the question, loving Roman feels like pressing a bruise just to make sure it still hurts.
“Love doesn’t matter, it’s worthless here,” I say quietly.
His face hardens. “Don’t.”
“It doesn’t,” I repeat, louder, because if I don’t, I might crumble. “Love doesn’t stop bullets. It doesn’t stop contracts. It doesn’t stop men like my Father.”
“It stops me from walking away.”
“Maybe you should walk away!” I shout.
The words echo as we stare at each other. Hurt flashes across his face. Real hurt. Not anger. Not ego. I swear I can feel my heart psychically recoil when I see the pain reflected in his eyes.
“You’d rather marry Fisher than marry me?” he asks.
“That’s not what I said.”
“But you won’t marry me.”
“Not like this!” I cry. “Not because we’re cornered. Not because it’s some desperate move to keep you breathing. I’m not going to be forced into marriage by my Father and call it romantic just because it’s you instead of Fisher.”
“So, you’d rather sacrifice yourself?” He hisses as his eyes burn in anger.
“Yes.”
“You don’t get to decide that alone,” his voice drops to a whisper.
“I do when it’s my life.”
“It’s my life too!” he roars. “He threatened me. That makes it mine.”