I hesitated, then whispered, “All she wants is to be near you.” My face burned at the admission.
Alexander’s expression softened. “Is there any reason why you can’t always be near me?”
I stared at him, realizing what he was truly asking—whether I had made up my mind after his confession. Slowly, I shook my head.
“No,” I said. “There’s no reason we can’t stay together.”
Relief washed over him like a wave. His whole body seemed to relax, as if he’d been holding his breath all day and could finally breathe again. A pang of guilt tugged at me; I hadn’t realized how much my decision weighed on him.
Then again, I remembered how I had felt when I’d laid my own secrets bare, waiting for him to decide if he could still accept me.
But now, none of that mattered. The only thi
