She nodded, her face looking accepting, like she understood, and I nearly crumpled in relief. Maybe there was still hope for us. God, I wanted that to be true. I moved to hug her…but she pushed me away. Some of my hope died as I gave her a questioning look. She narrowed her eyes at me; they were still holding a huge well of anger. Lifting her right hand, she pointedly showed me the ring on her finger.

“I kept my promise…I was faithful.” She jerked her thumb back toward my house…back toward my phone. “Were you?”

Fuck. I chewed on my lip as I looked back at the house. I didn’t know how to explain without…explaining. And I still, even now, didn’t want to tell her. Not completely. A part of me desperately wanted to hide. Looking back at her, my eyes fixated on her ring, then down to mine. How could I not tell her after everything I’d just accused her of? Goddamn it. “Kiera…it’s not what you think.” Can we leave it at that?

But of course, she wasn’t going to accept a non-answer anymore. No more half-truths from me either. She grabbed my cheek, making me lift my gaze. “I don’t know what to think because you won’t talk to me. What does that text mean?” There was heat in her voice still. And pain. So much pain. She thinks you’re having an affair…just fucking tell her.

How?

I started to panic as I felt the walls closing in on me. There was nowhere left to run, nowhere left to hide, and that was all I wanted to do. I don’t want to deal with this. I don’t want to talk about this. Just accept that I’m not doing anything. Just let me sweep this under the rug again. “I can’t…I don’t think I can…” I couldn’t even tell her that I couldn’t fucking talk about it. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. How did she expect me to get the words out when all I wanted to do was run? Let me go so I can run.

She shook her head, fury in her eyes. “You have to tell me now, Kellan, because this is tearing us apart.”

I know. I’m sorry.

Kiera pointed at the stop sign at the end of the street. “Tell me now…or I keep walking and we really do end this.”

The panic and fear shifted to desolation at the thought of her being gone. I can’t go on without you. My eyes stung as the agony welled inside me. Shaking my head, I pleaded with her to stay. “Please, don’t leave me.” But don’t make me talk either.