Page 104 of Grizz

Her voice trembles.“What does that mean for us?”

I close my eyes for half a second, bracing myself.

“It means,” I say, broken and absolute, “you need to get away from me, Daisy.”

Her breath stutters.

“I’m destructive,” I go on, because once I start, I can’t stop.“I destroy people who love me.It’s in my blood.The men in my family don’t build things—we burn them down.Wives.Children.Entire families.Anyone who stays too long.”

She stares at me like I’ve just rewritten reality.

“I won’t do that to you,” I say hoarsely.“I won’t let you be another casualty.”

A look flashes across her face—and it isn’t pity or sadness, or even denial.

It’s fury.

“No,” she says, voice low and shaking.“I don’t accept that.”

“Daisy—”

“No,” she repeats, louder now.“I don’t buy this fatalistic bullshit for one second.”

I flinch.

“You don’t get to call fear destiny,” she snaps.“You don’t get to dress cowardice up as inevitability and pretend it’s noble.”

“I’m trying to protect you.”

“No,” she fires back.“You’re trying to run.You’re terrified,” she says, eyes blazing now.“Terrified of commitment.Terrified of love.Terrified of the fact that this actually matters.”

I shake my head.“You don’t understand—”

“I do understand,” she interrupts, voice breaking but unyielding.“I understand exactly what you’re doing.You’re quitting before you fail so you can tell yourself you chose this.”

“I’m protecting you,” I interject, because she’s not getting it.

“Bullshit.”She steps closer, tears finally spilling but her spine rigid.“You think I’m not scared?I’m terrified.Loving you scares the hell out of me.Building something real scares me.But I’m still here.”

I can’t breathe.

“I’m ready,” she says.“I’m choosing you.And you’re standing there telling me I don’t get a choice because you’ve decided the ending already.”

I feel like I’m drowning.Her words are rattling the walls.

“You need to get away from me,” I say again, quieter now.Hollow.Final.

“No,” she says, desperation in her tone.“I refuse to believe you—”

“YOU NEED TO GET THE FUCK OUT!”I bellow at her, finger pointed toward my door.I swallow down my frustration and lower my voice.“It’s over and you need to go.”

I hold my breath, waiting for her to come at me again with all the reasons we’ll work.With all the reasons I could be happy with her if I just took the risk.I brace, ready to fight, but instead she nods once.

“Okay,” she says, her voice devoid of emotion, and for some reason, that single word devastates me more than any scream could have.

She steps back, pulling her coat around herself like armor.“If that’s your choice,” she says evenly, “then this is where it ends.”

I open my mouth, my gut telling me not to let her go.But the logical part of my brain wins and nothing comes out.