"So that's it? You're just going to give up, after everything?" Adrian whispered. His emerald green eyes were downcast, his hands in his pockets. I was sitting on my bed, biting my lip and trying to think of something to say. I'd just told him I thought we should end it. I couldn't stand how empty he looked. What was I supposed to say? He didn't know how Zoe had found out about us, how she'd threatened to turn me over to the Alchemists if I didn't break it off. I took a deep breath,fully prepared to inform him we had to end it, that it would never have worked out in the first place.

But he continued, pacing the room now. His voice was hoarse, and I could tell he was fighting back tears, something I'd never seen Adrian do. "We've lasted a year. Just try. Don't give up. Make us last one more. Please." His voice was quiet, pleading. Why did he have to sound like that? It was worse than yelling. I wanted him to yell, to call me names. Then maybe I could hate him for a while, maybe I could yell back. I finally looked up at him and said the first thing that came to mind. "It wasn't meant to be."

Now I got my wish. He looked at me, his eyes on fire. He was obviously giving himself over to Spirit now. "What a damn line!" He snapped, "Next thing you know, you'll be saying 'It's me, not you'!" I suddenly wanted to slap him. How dare he make me feel bad? I wanted to scream, to do something. I also wanted to tell him everything, but I couldn't. I just couldn't.

"So this is it, huh?" He stopped and fixed his eyes on me. He bent to my level and put his hand on my cheek. Not that, anything but that. He traced the golden lily tattoo there. "Come on, Sage. I love you, and I know you love me. Just last one more year. One more month. One more week. One more day." His voice was desperate, his eyes vacant. He looked like his whole world was crashing down. He came closer, about to kiss me. This was it. He was going to kiss me, and I was going to succumb to him.

And this made me more mad than his yelling. Why did he have to be so hard to resist? What about him made me feel like this? I shoved him away suddenly, scooting away. He flinched but stayed there on his knee, looking shattered. "No, damn it!" I yelled. He looked surprised. I hardly ever cursed, so he must have know how big this was. He looked so hurt. I kept telling myself he'd be more hurt if he had to watch me go, if we were torn apart. It was the only thing keeping me going, letting me go through with this. I wouldn't hurt him.

"You can't just kiss me and look at me like that and make everything better. Life doesn't work like that! You of all people should understand that. Now stop making a fool of yourself and get the hell out of here!" I yelled, surprised by my own anger.

"Sage.." He began, but I interrupted him. "Go." I whispered, looking back down. Then he surprised me. I heard him stand up, listened to his foot steps echoing on my bedroom floor. He opened the bedroom door. "Goodbye, Sage." He whispered.

I looked up, hoping to get one last glimpse of him. But he was already gone.

© Characters belong to Richelle Mead, author of Bloodlines