I met Derek's gaze, his eyes searching mine for any hint of the truth. The weight of his inquiry bore down on me, and I felt cornered, unable to escape the truth any longer.
I swallowed hard and finally spoke, my voice trembling. "Paul and I..."
Derek's expression hardened, his jaw clenched as he absorbed my words. The room seemed to close in on us as the weight of my confession hung between us.
Love! Love! Love! I gritted my teeth and shut my eyes as I thought. The word echoed in my mind like a haunting refrain. I hated it; I despised it—love, or what I thought it was. My heart was a battlefield of conflicting emotions.
I clenched my fists as if I could physically push away the tumultuous feelings that threatened to consume me. How could I entertain the notion of love when it had brought me so much pain and confusion?
