MELANIE
Melanie gripped the handle. Some part of her wanted love, but she had stopped seeking it. She desired acceptance. Oh, to be the very heart of someone. To be their joy and sorrow. To know that she was meant for him and him for her. Such a stupid dream. Women like her didn't get soulmates.
"Melanie."
"What I want, I can't have," she said, echoing Gennie's lament for love, and she pushed open the door.
Her vision barely penetrated the darkness. She got the feeling that the room was large and filled with big, blocky furniture. Thanks to the low fire lit in the fireplace, she could make out the nearest object: a huge four-poster bed. Ignoring that symbol of her sacrifice, she walked to the stone fireplace and stared at the flames.
"What is this place?" she asked.
"My bedroom." His voice emitted from the four-poster bed. "You've made your choice. There is no going back."
