"You are the dark forest. You are the big bad wolf. You are Rumpelstiltskin. You are my villain." I bit out while I felt a tear roll down my face "You have sent me so off course in my life that all I think about is you. You have written yourself into every aspect of my life. You are in my head and in my heart. In my bloodstream. My bedsheets smell of you. I cannot look at my hair or hear my name without thinking about you."

He stared at me. His jaw ticking and an expression of heartbreak on his face.

"Do you want to know what the worst past of all this is?" I asked rhetorically before answering myself “I do not want to get rid of you or unwrite you. That is the worst part. You have ruined me. I have never hated or even disliked you. Until now."

"You cannot leave me." He held on to my arms with a firm grip like he was determined to never let go.

I did not think he was ever planning to leave and that terrified me because if I stayed longer then I would have melted into his touch.

"I am scared of you." I whispered to him.

He let go of me instantly as his black eyes widened. He took a step back and then another like just his presence would tarnish me.

What I said was not the truth, but it was the only thing that I knew would make him let me go.

"I will make this right." He said while sounding possessed by determinedness.

His jaw ticked again and the muscles in his arms and chest tightened. He looked ready to fight. Fight for me. He appeared ready to fight and conquer anything to get me.

"Do not come for me, Stone." I forced out "I don't want see you."

He rasped out in a dark tone "You cannot ask that of me."

"I am not asking you. I am telling you."

The two police cars pulled up right next to the pier about a minutes’ walk away from us.

Stone's voice turned frantic as he turned to Brennan who was standing near "Get her out of here. Make sure she is okay."

Brennan glanced my way and smiled sadly before replying to Stone "They know I fight. I am getting lifted too."

I shook my head at both of them and what I said next was more to myself "I don't need anybody."

"I am sorry. Fuck, I am so sorry." Stone reached out again but then stopped himself as he neared. He looked so desperate, and his voice sounded so stern yet like a plea "I will come back to you. I will make this right. We are not over. I love you."