her cheeks. His curt words kept ringing in her ear; each syllable in his speech a burning hole remind

eeling the weight of his rejection settle heavily on her s

ed to spend all of life had just crushed all those hopes into pieces with

expression seemed both full of conce

e shards of glass were lodged in h

didn't believe it. "You don'

her voice shaking a little. "I

"It's your wedding night, for goodness' sake! You sh

her lip in an attempt to still her trembl

s is tough for both of you.But you have to stand your ground. Benedict can be

just what she needed, but her heart still was achy with doubt.

t a burden! You are his wife, and that means

ide Sabrina, but was doused by the word from Benedic

ng her head and watching her toes. "Maybe I'm just a foolish

ith him and the world needs to see this. You have to fight your love, no matter the impossibility

ds of Teresa wrap around her like a comforting b

oth are. It's big change for him. Let him process his feelings, and

in her chest, Sabrina nodded. "You're r

esa said, squeezing her hand reassurin

walked up the stairs full of thoughts racing with what she had to say to Benedict. When she reached the top l

f, building up more and more courage, as if she w

m single-lamp light illuminated a space. Benedict sat

ut gently, her voice jus

her. "What do you want, Sabrina?" The vo

lk?" he asked with a note of annoyance, "What's there to discuss?" he

she pressed on. "I know you're upset. I get that this isn't wha

"You think your love is enough to change how I feel? It'

wanting so much to reach him. "Help me und

You think you can help me? You made everything worse! You dragged me into t

ove you! I've loved you always! I thought... I thought that m

e happy with you standing there acting like everything is all right?

words: "I know it's hard, but we can figu

the walls. "You didn't know what it is to be trapped in the sit

rce. "I can see that you're in pain, and I un

the fight within him. But he rapidly hardened his gaze again. "You t

ght words. "But we can change things. We can wor

s menacing. "Even if we 'work through it,' I'll never love you

, and she looked away, forcing herself to calm down. "I'm not playing gam

spat. "You'll always be a reminder of what I

ft an unshakeable finality to them. "You can't

"What are you hoping to gain? A pity party? A chanc

g. "I am your wife. I have chosen you, and no ma

k this matters to me? This marriage mean

"If that's how you feel, why did you marry me

anger spilling over. "You don't understand what's

on her knees, sob. "Stop shutting

tled his words out. "You don't understand, do you? It's easier to be

closer to him, desperation evident in her voice. Maybe all you need is time

she saw a flicker of fear and vulnerability beneath his anger. B

a. It doesn't fix the mess we're in. Y

she breathed, her voice s

edict turned toward her, his hardness just a little softer in the e

pressed forward. "Let me in,

ost as if he were going to yield. He then jerked his head away again, a

er as though having just lost