Page 454 of His Virgin Romance Series

“Who are you to make that judgment?” I demanded as my voice rose dangerously. “I don’t know why I keep having to repeat myself with you. I am not a child, Seth. I’m not the fourteen-year-old girl you met ten years ago. You have no right to decide who is best for me. You’re not my brother, you’re not my boyfriend, and apparently, you’re not even my friend. You’re nothing to me—and you’ve made that very clear.”

“I never meant to hurt you,” he said quietly.

“And yet, here we are,” I said, unable to compose myself. “You want to know what I think? I think you’re a weak and spineless coward. You do have feelings for me, no matter what you say; I felt it last night, and I know I’m right. You’re just too afraid to admit it. You’re scared about something, and you’ve convinced yourself that staying away from me is the safest option for you. But all you’re doing is lying to yourself.”

Seth just sat there, taking my rant with his eyes hooded and his head tilted away from me. He looked lost, and I wasn’t sure if my words were hitting him or if he simply wanted to get me out of his office. I stared at him for a long time, waiting for him to say something—anything really, but he just kept silent.

It dawned on me that perhaps I had been the one lying to myself this whole time. Maybe I had created a character around Seth and built a man in my head that didn’t really exist. Maybe I had spent the last ten years of my life chasing a daydream that never really existed in the first place. I pushed back my hurt and anger and forced my voice into a tone of calm.

“Thank you for allowing me to stay at your resort,” I said without meeting his eye. “But I think I’ve overstayed my welcome. I’ll pack my bags and be out of here soon.”

“Brie,” Seth said, standing up. “That’s not—”

“You don’t have to worry about Jason or your friendship with him,” I said, cutting him off. “I don’t intend to tell him any of this.”

With that, I turned and walked out of Seth’s office, wondering if it would be another six years before I saw him again.

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