Evaline:
I wasn't sure what to say after that.
His quiet confession sat between us like something sacred, something I wasn't sure I was ready to touch, let alone return. And yet… I felt it. That unmistakable tug between us. It was gentle but persistent.
He saw the hesitation in my silence but didn't push. Instead, he let the moment breathe.
"I meant what I said, Eva," he murmured while looking directly at me. "I'm ready to accept the bond. All of it. You, us, the future that comes with it. As well as the trouble that will come with it."
I stopped breathing for a second as I took in his confession.
He leaned forward slightly. "But I'm also not stupid. I know you are not ready yet. And that's okay. I'm not here to pressure you. I'm here to court you. Properly. Like you deserve."
My heart stuttered.
Court me?
That wasn't the kind of thing I was expecting him to say. It wasn't the kind of thing I was expecting him to do.
"You don't have to-"
