"Lucian…" she whispered, her voice breaking, the bouquet shaking in her hands."Please... I'm sorry. I didn't know… I didn't know how much I was hurting you."
Lucian eyes softened for a moment, but they remained distant, locked in a battle between the past and the present. "Avey…"his voice was calm, but there was a deep sadness to it, like a person who had given up on something they once cherished. "I begged you for years. I stood before you, just like you are now, and I gave you everything I had. And every single time… you pushed me away."
Avey shook her head, her sobs growing louder as she struggled to speak through the pain."I didn't understand, Lucian… I didn't realize"
lucian cut her off, his voice still gentle, but firm. "But now you do?Now that I've finally let go,you suddenly understand?"His words weren't accusatory, but there was a weight to them that made Avey heart break even more.
"I thought you hated me,"
