"That's what I said, do I need to repeat myself?" He snapped, doing the exact opposite of what he terribly wished to be doing at the moment.
Marisol's brow furrowed in frustration, her lips pressing into a thin line. "You know we can hear each other's thoughts and feelings now, right?" she settled, watching as Cedric plowed his hands through his hair.
"You don't have to lie to me, Cedric," she continued, her tone soft and lulling. "I can feel what you're feeling. I know what you're thinking."
Cedric's jaw pulled taut, his eyes darting away from hers as shame flooded his senses. He'd forgotten about the bond. He had never felt so exposed, so vulnerable, in front of anyone before. And the thought of Marisol hearing his darkest thoughts filled him with a sense of dread.
He couldn't even form the words to defend himself. Every single cell of his body ached to fall into her arms and be back in that moment where they cared about nothing other than the other, but he couldn't do that, no. He needed to protect her, even from himself.
But Marisol wasn't about to let him off the hook that easily. "I can hear your thoughts." She repeated gently. Cedric sucks in a breath. This was not how he'd intended his escape to go.
"You don't have to carry this burden alone, Cedric. You're not a monster."
He scoffed bitterly at that, fingers balling into fists at his sides. "You don't understand," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm cursed, Marisol. I...... I don't deserve this. I don't deserve you."
Marisol's eyes flashed with anger as she got to her feet, her entire demeanor taking on a different track as she snapped at him, her voice ringing with authority. "Don't you dare say that, Cedric? You're not walking away from this. We're mates. Bound together by fate and nobody is more deserving of the other, we're equals in this."
Cedric swallowed hard, his throat feeling tight with emotion. He couldn't bear the thought of hurting Marisol, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that he was doomed to do just that.
"Talk to me, Cedric." She pressed after a few more minutes of silence.
His chest tightened at her words, a lump forming in his throat as he struggled to hold back the tide of emotions threatening to overwhelm him. "It's... it's not your concern," he retorted weakly, his voice barely above a whisper.
"You can't keep pushing me away, Cedric," she insisted, firm and unrelenting. "We're mated now, whether you like it or not."
Cedric felt a surge of guilt washed over him at her words. How could she still want him after everything he had done? After she'd witnessed the darkness that lurked within him?
Her words struck a chord deep within him, stirring something primal and raw. Cedric growled in frustration, fingers digging into his palm with how hard he was clenching them. "Don't talk to me like that," he warned, his voice low and dangerous.
She huffed out an unamused smile, "How exactly am I talking? Is it the truth that bothers you so much?"
She was right, but his pride refused to let him show his vulnerability. "Watch your tone, Marisol," he growled, resisting the urge to close the distance between them and shut her up in a way that neither of them would refuse.
Marisol's eyes blazed with defiance, her chin lifted stubbornly as she met his gaze head-on. "I don't know you to be a coward, Cedric," she shot back, her voice unwavering. "Don't start now."
Choosing to ignore her, he turned back around to face the door. Irritation flared within him. Who was she to tell him what to do?
As he turned to leave, Marisol's voice echoed through the room again, filled with desperation and fear. "Please, Cedric... stay."
But he wasn't having it. He wasn't going to stay. Wrapping his fingers around the door knob stiffly, he swung it open harshly, determined to walk out of it no matter what.
"I'm not going to let you walk out on me again, Cedric, stay!" She cried out and just like that, the door slammed itself shut with a deafening crash, the force of it sending Cedric stumbling back into the room.
He paused, staring at the shut door in disbelief as his heart pounded wildly in his chest. Then, he turned around, his jaw slacked.
For a moment, they simply stood there, staring at each other in stunned silence. He looked from her to the door, then back at the door before he approached it again, tentatively wrapping his fingers around the knob again and pulling. It refused to budge, even as Cedric did so a few more times, almost like it was unaware of the force being exerted on it.
Just then the scent of Marisol's fear reached his nose, filling the room. He could hear her berating herself as he now turned around, features softening.
"Hey," he called, Marisol's chest heaving as she stared at her feet.
"Oh goddess, what just happened?" She wailed, sounding breathless, and Cedric hastened in his steps.
On reaching Marisol, he reached out to touch her trembling form, "Hey, hey, you're okay. It's fine, I'm here. I'm still here, Princess, breathe." he coaxed softly, his voice filled with tenderness as he pulled her into his arms.
They stood together in the quiet room, their hearts beating as one. Cedric gently pressed a kiss on Marisol's forehead while she sucked in heavy breaths. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her or make her doubt her beautiful self.
After a while, with Marisol now more collected, they approached the door cautiously. Slowly, Cedric pulled at it again, not as harshly this time, seeing that Marisol remained perched at his side, his arm around her waist.
It remained unmoving, and they exchanged looks. In a silent agreement, Marisol reached out this time, but, before her fingers even reached the doorknob, it swung open by itself. As if activated by just her proximity.
Marisol's eyes widened in shock, a gasp leaving her lips as she realized what had just happened. "Did I... did I do that?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Cedric could only nod, his mind still reeling with disbelief. "I think you did," he murmured, his gaze fixed on her with a newfound sense of awe.