Tariana's mind flew back to yesterday, when she had admitted to Jacob outright that she loved him. She had told him to prove it to her, prove that he was the one she should be with. That seemed so far away, like it had happened years ago instead of hours. "So you're just going to give up? Not prove to me that I want you to stay? I would have expected more from you, Jacob; you've never been one to step down from a challenge. Why so keen to surrender now?" She didn't want him to leave, but her pride wouldn't allow her to tell him that. Tariana wanted nothing more than for him to rush across the room, pull her into his arms, and kiss her with such passion that it would leave her breathless. Yet there they stood, far apart from each other, letting their pride get the best of them. She refused to give up; Tariana was always the one to fling herself forward first. But this time she refrained, keeping her stature tall and straight as her violet eyes blazed into Jacob's face.