He made a commitment, Eena.”

“And you believe this commitment,” she spoke the word detestably, “is more important than true love?”

“Yes.”

“No,” she stubbornly disagreed.

“Yes,” Ian insisted as he put his finger to her lips, preventing her from arguing any further. “Love grows and wanes, Eena, but honor, duty, and commitment, those things are constant and stable. They define who you are.”

“They define who you are?” she repeated. “You mean miserable?”

“Content,” he retorted.

“Lonely,” she argued.

“Faithful,” he insisted, his eyes widening to emphasize the importance of the word.

“Empty, regretful, and…”

“Hopeful,” Ian whispered in her ear.

This word caught her off guard. At present, hope was probably all any of them could cling to.

Autore: Richelle E. Goodrich