Alaric broke the kiss first, his breath ragged. His green eyes blazed, but beneath the fire was raw hurt.
"No more, Daphne," he said. "This… distance between us...it isn't because I don't love you. It's because you're lying to me."
His thumb brushed the tear from her cheek. "You're hiding something."
Her lips parted, but no words came.
Alaric's grip tightened. "I cannot share a bed with a woman who keeps secrets like daggers pressed to my back." His jaw clenched. "You owe me the truth. All of it. Right here. Right now."
Daphne's heart pounded so hard she thought it might shatter her ribs. "Ric… I want to. I swear I do. But..."
"No," he cut her off, shaking his head. "No more 'buts.' You either trust me with the truth, or you don't. And if you don't…"
Her breath caught.
She knew he was right. The distance wasn't because of him. It was her secret, her silence, poisoning everything between them.
