I cross my arms slightly.
"To the flowers."
He is silent.
"To unexpected visitors."
His gaze is fixed on me.
"And to—tonight."
Alexander breathes slowly.
"Clara," he says finally, "I thought that—"
He stops.
I observe him calmly.
"You thought this might be something else."
I don't say it as an accusation, I say it as a reality.
His jaw tightens slightly.
"Yes."
His answer is direct, honest.
"Because I like you."
His words are suspended among us. And for a second I feel guilty.
Because I understand perfectly what that confession means.
Alexander is not a man who says things lightly.
"I know," I reply softly.
He watches me carefully.
"But I also think it would be unfair of me to let you think I'm in the same place."
Silence sets in again, Alexander runs a hand over his
