Arette's mind raced, searching for a way to deescalate the situation. She knew she needed to calm him down, but the fear of what he might do next paralyzed her. "Dominic," she said softly, trying to keep her voice steady, "I do love you. But this isn't the way to prove it. You need to calm down."
Dominic was someone who believed in evidence. He may have been in love with Arette, but the evidence that was brought to him made him aware that Arette didn't love him.
At that moment, his head finally pieced together all the signs he had been too blind to see when he was with Arette—the little recoiling she did whenever he reached for her, how her face lightly scrunched up in disgust when he held her. These were signs he should have noticed and taken seriously.
His eyes flashed with frustration. "Don't lie to me!" he shouted, his voice cracking. "I know you don't really love me. You're just saying it to keep me from hurting you."
