Chapter 19 - Dilemma

Talia

Please don't reject me—that sentence breaks me.

Because the honest truth, the one that burns my heart and makes my chest constrict, is that I don't want Thail to walk out of my life.

Yes, he constantly teases me and gets on my nerves, but he never fails to make me smile. It baffles me how someone so big and strong can also be gentle and kind.

Thail might not like my friends, but he is fierce, loyal, and very protective of me, and I like that.

"I'm going to let you go," Thail whispers. "But please... Hear me out before you reject me, okay?"

I gaze deeply into his sad, golden eyes and feel my heart shatter with every breath that I take.

I give him a nod, and Thail grimaces. "Sorry for pushing you up against the tree... I will back off..."

He removes his hand from my mouth, and I slide to the ground, where the autumn leaves rustle around my shoes. I'm shaken, and Thail seems to think it's because I'm fearful of him.

His face hint at him being ashamed of his actions, and he takes