My throat tightened instantly. “Ace, don’t.” 

“Why not?” His voice rose as he stepped forward again. “Why can’t I say it? Why can’t I tell you the truth instead of pretending I’m happy with someone I don’t want?” 

“Because…” I backed away once, then stopped myself. “Because it doesn’t fix anything. It doesn’t change anything.” 

He blinked. “How can you say that?” 

“How can you not see it?” My voice trembled, but this time I didn’t try to ...