After several seconds, the voices and the images in her mind faded as Ruelle stared into Lucian's eyes.
It would be a lie to say that she hadn't quietly agonised since Peyton's revelation. Even though Lucian had told her his heart belonged to her, she had questioned how he could choose her. How he could mark her when she was tied to one of the deepest losses of his life.
Yet standing beneath the tree grown from a single apple seed she had once given him, Ruelle realised she had only understood a fraction of his feelings.
Around them, the world seemed to grow strangely quiet. Snow drifted between the branches above, while the wind tugged lightly at their hair.
She felt her throat tighten.
"Why?" she finally asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"
For a moment, Lucian said nothing, and snow settled silently upon the dark strands of his hair. His expression barely changed, yet something softened in his eyes.
