"Emily."

Jackson's voice called her by her real name, not the new identity she had so carefully crafted.

"Is this your way of telling me, yet again, that you're rejecting me?"

His words, heavy with frustration, caught Miranda off guard. She stood still, unable to find the right words. She had explained herself so many times before. Each time felt more futile than the last.

Jackson sighed, exasperation lining his tone. “I just don’t get it... Why...”

"Jackson, I'm sorry."

"No, no, please," ...