Jade Fern Grove the seeds of love have taken hold and if we don't burn together, i'll burn alone

Shock briefly crossed his features at her firm rebuff. Had he done something? (What hadn't he done?)

"Adeline!" he said, unable to come up with anything else. When she pressed on, so did he, following doggedly after her. "Addie - " he tried again, but didn't get any further. He swallowed back a bitter mouthful of rising panic. "Addie, what's going on?"

Was this about Akuti, or was there something else going on? He thought - how could it be about her? - but at the same time, how could it be about anything else? Still, Grayday tried, hoping it was anything but jealousy, because that would mean he'd read all the signs wrong. It would mean he'd been waiting for something that could've been his. It would mean that he'd lost something he had longed for so ardently, something he'd never thought he could have.

"Is it - " Is it Steady? Please let it be Steady. "Running away isn't gonna bring him back, Addie. Don't leave like this."