He looked at me with a pained expression. "I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid you wouldn't be my friend. To me, your happiness is worth more than forcing you to be my wife…"
"Then, why are you telling me this now?"
"Because, I've fallen for you. I love you Aeris, at first it was just to make you come back to the fae realm when you encounter hardship. I brought you across the No Man's Land because I wanted you to see how dangerous the outside was, and when you didn't turn back, I brought you into the witches' realm. I know I'm wrong, not only did I hurt your friends but I caused you harm too." His voice cracked at the end.
My lips quivered, but no sound came out. For a moment, all I could hear was the pounding of my heart in my ears. The words "I love you" still echoed in the air, thick and suffocating.
I blinked, trying to make sense of everything he just said. My mind was racing, my thoughts clashing against one another like raging waves.
He… loved me?
