71. Torn Heart-II

|| Alaric’s POV || The grip on the wheel tightened as I heard her. She didn’t want to be seen with me! “Are you ashamed of me?” I asked, trying to keep my voice as calm as possible. Was I not good enough? Was this because I never stood in the election or shared Kael’s dream? She bit her bottom lips for a moment. “No,” she said quickly, her heart pounding. “It’s just… complicated.” I let out a bitter laugh, the sound sharp and cutting. “Nothing is complicated here, Lilac. Either you love someone and want to be with them, or you don’t. There’s no in-between.” And that was it. As soon as I pulled over, she left. No words, no goodbye. She didn't even look at me! She just fucking left! So that's all you had to say! I watched her walk away, her figure growing smaller as she disappeared into the distance. The ache in my chest was unbearable, a mix of anger, frustration, and something deeper— something I didn’t want to name. She was mine. She had always been mine. So why couldn’t she see that?