Valerian turned away from her abruptly, dragging a hand through his hair as he paced across the room once—twice—before stopping.
His back remained to her for a moment.
As though he needed that distance.
As though facing her while saying what he needed to say would make it harder to control.
When he finally turned back, his expression had shifted. There was less anger. More… something else. Something raw.
"I am not him, Aurelia," he said, his voice quieter now, but far more deliberate. "And I never will be."
He took a step toward her. "Neris looked at you and chose to turn away," he continued. "He saw you and decided that whatever stood before him was something he could not accept. Something he did not want. And instead of standing his ground, instead of defying the expectations placed upon him… he chose the easier path."
His eyes hardened slightly. "He ran."
