YIREN'S POV
"Because I have a feeling I'm going to leave my heart behind when I leave him," I say, sniffing back tears. "If that happens, I'll be nothing more than a shell of a person and will have to live a miserable life."
Ning is quiet for a moment, her hand rubbing gently on my shoulder. "When the feelings run this deep, why think of leaving him? Maybe this is it."
I turn to her, the words catching in my throat. "No. This is not it. I don't do relationships, Ning. I have a set vision for my life—and I can't pick anything out of it."
Ning doesn't let up. She looks at me with that knowing, calm expression that always seems to cut through my defenses. "There's a difference between 'can't' and 'don't.' When you say 'you can't,' it means you're fighting yourself to accept that decision. So tell me, why are you fighting?"