My heart pounded in my chest like a drumbeat of anticipation. "What other reason?" I whispered in a low voice.
He hesitated, his eyes filled with a turmoil that mirrored my own. His hand tightened on mine, his touch a silent plea for my trust. I squeezed his hands subconsciously, and a small smile flashed through his eyes.
Taking a deep breath, he began, "I felt… I felt obliged to my family, Amelia. Despite knowing that I had fallen in love with you the first time I met you, I couldn't choose you over them. I couldn't betray them for you."
I stared into his eyes, and I could see the sincerity in them. This was the man I had fallen in love with, the man whose eyes held love for me. My heart was asking me to believe him, to put my trust in his words, but my mind still held a friction of doubt.
