It was one thing telling her off while she was drunk, it was a totally different feeling telling her off to her face. He hadn't been man enough to break it off cleanly with her. He had been a coward hiding from her and ignoring her.
He fought against every one of the cells in his body, holding himself back from clinging on to her. She was right in front of him, but he had to protect her heart and drive her away.
Justin justified his actions by reassuring himself that he was doing it to protect her. He didn't want to see her in a dilemma like Grey's family. It was enough for his family to feel the pain, but he was extremely reluctant to have Claudia face that kind of situation. No matter how careful he was going to be in the future, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't end up like grey.
He didn't want to give up on his dream job, so he gave up on his love instead. Was he hurting? Yes, he definitely was, but it was nothing compared to what Claudia might face in the future. That was what he kept telling himself.
Never once did he think that every individual faced his or her own fate. It was grey's fate to die protecting his country. His own fate was unknown to him yet. Still, he chose to live the rest of his life away from this woman.
"What are you doing?" He balled his hands into fists in an act to control himself. All of his changes were clearly seen by his brother.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm hitting on you," she said with a smile on her face.
Lesson 3: make your purpose known.
"I don't appreciate it."
"Let this sister buy you a drink. You look like you need one."
He looked into her eyes, "go away."
Right then, Claudia wanted to walk away and never look back, but that idea hurt her less than the thought of losing him forever. She adjusted her mood quickly and stared deep into his eyes.
All these happened with her still sitting on him. In his selfishness, he still wanted to feel her warmth, so he just let her sit through their conversation.
Seeing how distracted he was, Claudia tightened her arms around his neck and pulled him for a kiss.
Again, Justin froze.