“I’m not prepared to be another statistic,” he choked out, sounding deadly serious. “Not with her. So I’ll do what I have to do, I’ll bide my time, but I won’t tie her down. Not until she’s ready. Not until we’ve both lived a bit of life first.” He dropped his head and released a pained groan. “But I won’t watch that.” He growled again. “Never a-fucking-gain.”
