Samuel met her gaze, his eyes filled with an emotion Zinnia couldn't quite place. It wasn't anger or sadness, but something deeper, something he wasn't ready to say out loud. "Because I love you," he wanted to confess, but he swallowed the words. Instead, he focused on the task at hand: helping her. He thought it was better this way. No need to complicate things further with his feelings.
Zinnia's chest tightened at his offer. Samuel was willing to help her search for James, even after everything. Guilt washed over her in waves. "I… I don't know what to say," she murmured, her voice breaking. "I'm sorry, Samuel. I never meant to hurt you like this."
Samuel gave her a small, tight smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I know," he said quietly. "It's not your fault. You can't help how you feel, Zinnia."
