“I didn’t know,” she whispers.
“That’s the f*****g point!” I’m shouting now. I can’t help it. “You didn’t know because you refused to let me close enough to protect you!”
“I’m sorry,” she mumbles into her lap.
“I can’t lose you,” I grit out. “Do you understand that? I can’t f*****g lose you, Eliana. You’re the only good thing I’ve ever had, and you keep trying to walk away from me. Why can’t you see that I just want to keep you safe?”
I reach down and grab her arm, hauling her up from the floor. She stumbles against me, and I catch her, steadying her with hands that are still slick with blood.
I don’t wait for her to argue. I strip off my jacket and wrap it around her shoulders, covering the ruined gown, then grab her stick from where it fell and press it into her hand. My arm locks a
