Cecilia's POV
I repeatedly adjusted my breathing because my chest felt tight, the disappointment triggering a dense layer of pain.
My throat choked up, and I mumbled a half-hearted apology.
"So... do you find it difficult?" I bit my lip, sniffed, "If it's too hard, you don't have to persist with being with me."
I did have feelings, but there were too many concerns, and Karl wasn't my top priority. So, I hid, always hiding because I hadn't given priority to Karl.
Many things came before him, and I couldn't handle them all. I said, "And right now, you..."
Banned from competitions, giving up on awards, willingly sinking into a quagmire. Drifting further from the right path, becoming less like himself. The current Karl.
"I really don't want to see you like this."
"What does it matter," Karl replied, almost self-deprecating, "Regardless of how I am, you won't like it."
