Chapter 41: Sofia

A naked vulnerability I've never seen flashes across his face. It tears me up inside. I'm struck with the urge to wrap my arms around him and hold him tight. To comfort him. To tell him that everything will be all right. But I don't. As much as I long to, I can't. This man has endangered the people I care about most, and that is one transgression I can't forgive.

Fortifying everything inside me, I say, "You need to let me go."

His body stays stretched out over mine, and I fleetingly wonder if he'll allow me to leave or hold me captive indefinitely. But then, one by one, he removes his fingers from my wrists.

Uncomfortable with the intimacy of our position, I whisper, "Please, Roman, you have to let me go. I've listened to everything you had to say." I shake my head. "I'm sorry, but it doesn't make a difference. You betrayed us. What you've done is unforgivable."

His lips hover over mine. He looks ready to kiss me, but instead jerks away and rolls off the bed in one fluid