AVEL
Kai's words made my stomach turn. I didn’t know what I expected him to say, and I opened my mouth, ready to ask what that meant, but he wasn’t done. “I wanted to tell him,” he said, his voice urgent. “I wanted to tell him badly and I promise I’m not backing out. I just... I felt like it wasn’t the place.”
He paused, then walked over to the sofa and sank down, leaning forward and burying his face in his hands.
“I’ll make time,” he whispered. “I’ll travel home and come out to them properly, the way I should. I meant what I said—I’m choosing you. I just thought… it would be easier somehow. I assumed Aalto would have already told them everything and all I needed to do was not deny it. And when I realized he hadn’t… that it was up to me… I just…”
He trailed off, his voice thinning as
