-Madeleine-
I was being selfish again, wasn’t I?
“I’m sorry,” I said, tears welling up in my eyes. “I know you don’t want a mate, and I can’t even… say those words. I know you want to get rid of me. I know you didn’t want to find a mate, and then you got me! But I don’t want to say them. Please don’t make me say them…”
I looked down at the ground, tears spilling over despite my attempts to hold them back. Just the thought of rejecting him or being rejected tore my heart to pieces. The tears flowed freely, and I felt even more embarrassed as they did.
The last thing he probably wanted to deal with right now was a crying female, so I didn’t dare look at him. I just kept trying to wipe them away with my long sleeve. I was wearing a peach-colored dress that fell just below my knees, with
