DPOV
How was taking Tasha's offer going to make me happy? Sure, it could be easy, comfortable, but comfortable wasn't happy. At least not for me in this case.

What would make me truly and extraordinarily happy was having Rose be the mother of our children, having Rose helping me run our family, and having Rose as my wife. It wasn't to happen.

What did make me happy was Rose's happiness. And I had been miserable since the day Rose's opinion of Tasha changed, since the second her jealousy had reared its head. I may hate all things blocking us, but I never wanted to cause her pain, and it didn't stop me from only being happy and at peace if she was. I wanted to leave to protect her- protect her from me- but I also wanted to leave for my own selfish purposes. Where Tasha wanted me and my kids, I wanted Rose and her kids- ours. It wasn't fair to Tasha to take her offer.

But staying put Rose in danger. I couldn't care about my name and reputation. I wasn't worried about tarnishing my profile anymore. I didn't want to be what ended her career before it starts. I was her only link left to staying at the Academy should anything else go awry. But if it was discovered or exposed that we had such strong feelings to each other then the consequences on my end would break her.

Her future was in my hands, no matter if I stayed or left. I could recover professionally from a title-stripping, jail-time-worthy scandalous relationship (or non-relationship) and accusations. I could recover from the resulting slander. Rose however, couldn't. Her name was already bringing up all the wrong stories. She couldn't afford to have this too. Some may be able to brush her end off as a school-girl crush... until they learned it was so intense she was willing to let me go, then she had no future. And I couldn't stand the thought of that.

I didn't know what to say. But apparently my lips knew what to do. A kiss was pressed to her forehead before I turned the light out, made sure the soon-to-start-rising sun couldn't enter and went to bed.