10. Evasion
"You're a coward."
Her words catch him off guard. He stops in the middle of his speech to look over at her. She stares at him with wide eyes, as if she's seeing him for the first time. He feels his heart drop at her expression.
He never wanted to see her looking at him like that. This one person in this new life that he could have been better for, that would have never known his past, his reputation. Who could've been his new start. And she was shaking her head at him, disappointed.
He felt lightheaded. He tried to swallow, to grasp his slipping control. But as she stepped nearer, he felt it whisk away. He suddenly couldn't meet her gaze.
She reached a hand out and he held his breath. The tips of her fingers brushed his sleeve, before retreating. He could see her clenching her hand to her chest. To her heart.
He wanted to look up, but all the stares of those around them stopped him. The thought of them seeing anything less than what he's given was an absolute negative.
But he could feel her staring at him intensely. Trying to get him to look back at her.
He couldn't do it.
"You can't run from everything, Gold."
He squeezed his eyes shut, knowing she was right, but unable to move.
She rested her hand fully on his arm, the warmth almost burning him through the material. It shocked him so much that he glanced up. A new light was in her eyes. And he realized what it meant.
She believed in him.
He needed to do the right thing.