“Have you even looked at yourself?” he muttered, almost sounding frustrated by the question itself. “Do you have any idea how hard this has been for me?”
His hand lifted instinctively toward her, stopping just inches away from her waist before he forced it back to his side, fingers flexing like it physically hurt not to touch her.
“Look at you,” he muttered.
His eyes moved over her again, slower now, lingering in a way that made the tension between them thicken instantly.
“Have you even looked at yourself?” he asked, his jaw tightening. “Do you have any idea how hard it was to sleep beside you every night and not touch you?”
His voice dropped lower.
“I’m a man, Amara.”
The words came out strained.
“What did you think I was going through every time you curled up against me in your sleep? Every time you hugged me without even realizing it?”
His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard.
“You’d move closer, cling to me, bury yourself against my chest…” His eyes darkened at the memory. “And I had to lie there pretending it didn’t affect me. I had to just stay still because I wasn’t allowed to touch you.”
His hand flexed at his side before he raked it back through his hair in frustration.
“I wanted you,” he confessed, his voice rough now. “God, I was dying to sleep with you. But I didn’t want to hurt you, so I kept my distance.”
He looked away briefly before letting out another low breath.
“I was scared I’d lose control,” he admitted quietly. “Just like I did last night.”
The memory alone seemed to tense him again. His shoulders stiffened, and he laughed softly under his breath, though there was nothing amused about it.
“When I realized you were in pain this morning…” His expression darkened immediately. “I was terrified.”
His eyes lifted back to hers, raw and honest now.
Amara’s anger softened slightly as she listened to him.
Not completely.
The hurt from all those months of rejection still lingered heavily inside her chest. But hearing him finally say it—hearing the real reason behind his distance—eased something deep inside her, something she hadn’t even realized had been aching for answers this entire time.
For months she had wondered what was wrong with her.
Why he avoided her.
Why he looked at her one moment like he wanted her, then disappeared the next.
Now, finally, she had an answer.
“You still had no right to hide it from me.”
Elias lowered his gaze briefly and nodded once.
“I know.”
Something in his expression shifted before he slowly stepped closer to her again.
This time, when he lifted his hand, it wasn’t forceful or impatient. His fingers brushed lightly against the side of her face, almost hesitant, as though he was afraid she would pull away from him.
