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Whatever lesson Persephone had tried to teach Henry backf ired, and even if she left the palace toe the fact that Henry would always love her more I wanted to hate her for what she’d done, but she hadn’t been the one to burst into our ht her out, and I’d convinced her to reenter her old life, despite knowing full hat the consequences of Henry seeing her again s--in a twisted way that had failed miserably, but she had tried
And now I’d lost hi woke o stretched, and when I sat up, he f lopped down in o anywhere without hi eless face was drawn and his lips turned down in a frown, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks
Finally he stepped inside the rooreet h his clothes I wipedsession remained, but they’d been dry for hours
Once he’d picked out a fresh shirt that was indistinguish-able fro, but he wordlessly disappeared into the bathroom as if I weren’t even there Did he think so little of one, I debated whether or not to continue pretending everything was all right The coward in me wanted to, but I knew that if I tried, I would be as miserable as Persephone had been, and I didn’t want to befor him to set Persephone aside and focus on me instead
By the time he came out, I knehat I had to say
Everything inside of ainst the words that spilled from my mouth, but I needed to say it, and Henry needed to hear it
"I can’t do this anymore"
My voice was barely a whisper, but Henry stopped halfway between the bathroom and the door He didn’t look at me, but his hands formed f ists, and the cords in his neck stood out like they had in the roo washed overPersephone had done to hi up Before we’d even had a chance, I was declaring it over
No Henry was the one who’d given up He was the one who’d declared it over the moment he refused to touch me or treat me like his wife He was the one who’d lost us so up the search, as well There was nothing I could do, noif he’d already abandoned us
"Cannot do what, exactly?" said Henry, and I heard the strain in each word he spoke, as if it took monumental effort for hi I wanted to take it back and apologize and beg for hioing to do that And even if he did, too back to this, and neither of us would ever be happy again I couldn’t do that to him I couldn’t do that to me
"This," I said softly "Us Last year, ere--
before ere ht noould be perfect, and that I would be happier than I’ve ever been into love you for the rest of eternity But no matter how much I want to love you, you won’t let me, and I can’t do this anymore" Henry didn’t move I wanted him to come over to the bed, to take my hand and tell me he was sorry, that he’d try harder, but he didn’t He stared at the door instead "May I ask what precipitated this decision?"
There it was, the elephant in the rooed everything
"You kissed Persephone"
At once, several eer, pain--relief ? Yes, relief, as well
"I did not expect her to tell you I aht say, that had never crossed my mind "That’s your response?" I blurted "That you’re sorry I found out? Persephone didn’t tell ift I was in the roole word you said to her I watched you do it" I blinked rapidly to stopbattle He didn’t care He wasn’t even going to pretend he’d done so "You knohat James told me at the end of the sumoing to tell me about it, because everyone else was so concerned with your happiness that they didn’t give a damn about mine I told him I’d alreadyI wait I didn’t understand what he ly on Henry’s lips
"Yes, of course he would fool you into second-guessing yourself For purely self less reasons, I a iven you every chance in the world to showYou run off whenever you think you’re going to have to be in a room alone with me for more than two minutes at a time You don’t touch me, you barely talk to ot here, let alone treat me like your wife Like your equal Ja like this, and I was stupid enough to insist he rong"