-Everly-
I could see the fear in her eyes. I had gone too far—she made me lose my head, the words spilling out uncontrollably—and now I had done exactly what I feared most: scared her away. Silence stretched between us for what felt like an eternity. When it became clear she wasn’t going to speak, I rose, meeting her eyes once more.
“I’m sorry. That was a bit much,” I said. “Perhaps you’d like to go now?”
“No!”
Her outburst startled me, making me move back.
“I-I mean, no. Please, I don’t want to go.”
I hesitated, then noticed the small smile forming on her lips. Slowly, I sat back down. The warmth in her eyes stunned me.
“No one has ever been that honest with me,” she admitted.
“Never?”
She shook her head. “At least… not in that way.”
“What do you mean?”
She glanced around and t
