Unrequited

Chapter 44: Desperate

Prime P.O.V

Her mouth hung open and her eyes blinked rapidly at me as she processed the weight of that single word. I slowly reached out a hand towards her cheek. ''Or rather, what's happened between ''us.'' She gasped out loud as my hand gently cupped her cheek and a single tear tracked down her face.

For a moment, she leaned into my hand, her lips grazing against my palm. Heat coursed through me at the sensation and I stared intently at my hand on her face, her lips on my skin. My chest rose and fell as I exhaled deeply, more as a means to expel what I had kept bound inside me for several weeks rather than as a necessary function. ''Orianna. I need to exp...''

Orianna shook her head vigorously, as she took a step back away from my reach. She sent me a quick, tight lipped smile, ''No need to explain. You made it pretty clear how you felt that night Prime.''

'Orianna...'' I reached out towards her and began to close the distance between us once more. ''Please!''

Her smile faded as an unreadable expression settled on her face and she took another step away from my outstretched hand. ''Well, it was nice to see you again Prime.'' She flicked the briefest of smiles in my direction. ''But I better get going.'' She began to back up away from me, brushing her long locks behind her ears yet again as they danced about in the strengthening wind. ''Perhaps we might catch up again another time?''

''Orianna,'' I growled. ''Just talk to me! Please!'' My voice was thick with desperation and urgency, though I should feel neither. /I can't let her go again. I simply can't/. I practically lunged at her, trying to grab her shoulder and halt her retreat.

''I CAN'T!'' her face contorted in pain as she recoiled from me. It broke my spark to hear and see such a response, and for a moment an ugly, gaping silence stretched between us. ''I don't know how to speak to you Prime, not anymore...''

A sharp searing pain tore through my spark and I flinched at her words. /No... not you.../.

''Not when I still feel...'' She brought her hand up to stifle the words that threatened to tumble from her lips before she looked away, as if unable to bear the sight of me.

I chanced taking another step towards her, holding my hands out before me imploringly, begging her to stay. ''Orianna, please. Just tell me what I must do to make things right between us again,'' I had never felt so desperate. A Prime begging a human woman to show him the way forward, to tell him what to do. It was unheard of, but I didn't give a scrap.

''Don't you get it?'' Her voice held a modicum of reproach. ''You can do so many things Prime, but you can't fix THIS!'' Orianna yelled in frustration as she backed away yet again, increasing the physical distance between us. Her voice was filled with censure, ''You can't do what needs to be done to fix what has happened between us,'' she shook her head, as her lips curved into a sneer of self-loathing and her voice dropped to a low whisper as she hung her head in defeat. ''And I have no right to expect you to. It's not fair.''

''Will you not even let me try Orianna?'' My voice was low and rough as a cold, sinking feeling engulfed my spark and I felt her slipping away from me once more - perhaps for good.

Several tears fell from her eyes as she slowly shook her head. ''What for? I can not make you love me.'' Each word struck me like a physical blow and I briefly closed my eyes to endure the pain they inflicted. She made a small sobbing sound as she started to turn away from me. ''I'm so sorry Prime, but I need to go.'' My eyes flew open and my whole body tensed. ''Perhaps I shouldn't have come in the first place.'' The final words were spoken in such a low whisper as to almost be mistaken for an exhalation of breath.