Chasing Destiny [SYTYCW15]

Skopje, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, 1941

"I did," he confessed. "I've never denied it. I left you for another woman. The only thing I can say in my defense is that I was young and dumb."

Akantha turned her face away from him, hiding the angry tears that had welled up in her eyes. Why was he so intent on making her emotionally bleed? The emotional wounds he had given her never fully healed and now he wanted to reopen them on top of the wounds Matheus had recently delivered. It would hurt less if he poured salt into the bullet wound.

"I've apologized a thousand times and will apologize a thousand more if that's what it would take for you to forgive me." His voice was low, tender, and Akantha found herself listening to him against her better judgment. His words were chipping away at the walls she had erected around her heart. "All that I've ever wanted was your forgiveness."

Her head bowed and her words were thick with emotion. "I'll never forgive you." The seventeen year old girl inside of her who was still madly in love with him wanted to forgive him and run into his arms, but time didn't heal all wounds. Some wounds were so deep the passage of time couldn't erase the pain. It layered more years over it until it was an ache she could only remember during her darkest moments. She could close her eyes and be taken back to that day so long ago and feel her heart shatter again into a million pieces.

"Never is a very long time," he observed. "I regret it every single day. Surely you can understand regretting something you did."

Akantha remained silent. Everyone carried regrets with them. The longer you lived, the more regrets you carried. Twenty four hundred years was a long time to accumulate regrets. Akantha carried her fair share. She regretted falling in love with him and she regretted making Matheus an immortal. Those were just two among many.

He reached over and took her hand. "I love you," he said and dropped a soft kiss on her knuckles.

She pulled her hand away and turned over on her side, giving him her back. The tears fell from her eyes and landed on the pillow. A sob racked her body and she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"Akantha," he said in a low voice.

"Leave me alone," she begged. Tears continued to fall from her eyes and she didn't bother to wipe them away. He gently pulled on her shoulder in an effort to get her to roll over to her back, but she refused to budge.

"I need to change your bandages," he told her.

"You can do it later."

"Akantha," he sighed. "We don't know when later will be. Please, let me change your bandages while I can."

She didn't react. His hand left her shoulder and she felt him move off the bed. She listened to him move around the room and was surprised when he didn't come to the side of the bed she was facing. She watched him through tear filled eyes. He stood at the small table and removed items from a canvas sack. Akantha would have turned around to face the other direction, but doing so would be painful. He stood there for a few moments, but Akantha couldn't see what he was doing.

A moment later he turned around and approached the bed. She looked away and hoped it would dissuade him from talking to her. It didn't. He sat down on the edge of the bed and offered her a chunk of cheese and a slice of bread.

"Hungry?" he asked. "The bread isn't fresh but it's still good."

She wanted to say no, but her stomach rumbled at the smell of the bread and cheese, despite what her heart wanted. She reached for the bread. He smiled and with his free hand he wiped away the tears on her cheeks with the back of two fingers. "I'm sorry the men you loved betrayed you," he said in a low voice. "I'm sorry Matheus wasn't the knight you needed. I know you loved him."