"I thought if you stayed away…" She swallowed hard. "Maybe your life wouldn't be ruined because of me."
"Amara…"
"But you refused," she continued, tears gathering in her eyes now. "You stayed anyway." Julian felt his heart breaking piece by piece listening to her.
"And now…" Her breathing became uneven. "Now your own family is calling me a whore." The last word shattered in her throat. Julian closed his eyes briefly, as the sound physically hurt him.
Because it did. God, it did. Amara finally looked at him again, and the tears she had been holding back started falling.
"I know I shouldn't care," she whispered. "I know I should be stronger than this…" A shaky breath escaped her. "But hearing those things hurt." Julian's face crumpled instantly.
"It really hurt." She wiped at her tears quickly, almost embarrassed by them.
