Chapter 111: Remorse
She felt a pang in her chest, a mix of emotions swirling inside her. She was torn between her own messed up feelings and the love he had declared. "You should have trusted me," she whispered, her voice still barely audible.
Ryder’s face contorted in a mixture of pain and regret, and he raised his hand, his fingers caressing her chin. "I know," he said, his voice cracking. "I was wrong not to trust you. But I was desperate, Reana. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you."
"And now? Will you tell me what you’re hiding?" she asked, her eyes locked onto his.
Ryder’s eyes searched hers, as if looking for permission to reveal his secrets. He took a deep breath, and his shoulders squared, as if preparing himself for the consequences. "I’ll tell you everything," he said, his voice firm. "I’ll hide nothing from you, Reana. I promise."
He paused, collecting his thoughts before speaking again. "But when the time is right." His eyes locked onto hers, intense and serious. "You have to promise me that you’ll listen, that you’ll hear me out, no matter what I say."
Reana’s brows furrowed in confusion. "When the time is right?" she repeated, her voice laced with skepticism. "What does that mean? Why can’t you tell me now?"
Ryder’s expression remained serious, his eyes burning with an inner intensity. "Because, Reana, what I have to tell you...it’s not something you’re ready to hear. Not yet." He paused, "But I promise you, when the time is right, I’ll tell you everything."
Reana’s gaze lowered, her mind racing with thoughts, trying to put two and two together. Then, she arrived at a conclusion;
"You’re not sick with wolf rot." She wasn’t asking, she was stating a fact.
Ryder’s eyes locked onto hers, and he nodded slightly, acknowledging the truth. "I’m not sick."
The air was thick with tension as Reana’s gaze bore into his, as if searching for more secrets, more lies. "Your relationship with Orion was more than you stated."