Zander stepped quietly into the room, the soft glow of the sunlight illuminating Flora as she rested. He moved to her side, his hand trembling slightly as he reached out to brush a stray lock of hair from her forehead. At his touch, Flora’s eyelids flickered, and she slowly looked up at him.
"Zander!" she whispered.
"Did I wake you?" he asked as he lowered himself to the edge of the bed.
"No. I wasn’t really sleeping," Flora replied, her gaze searching his. "You left earlier this morning... You didn’t say much to ."
Zander looked down at his hands with the weight of the hours he had spent waiting in the hall. "Your family was here, and everyone else was crowding the room. I felt you needed them more," he stated simply, though the pain of being apart from her was evident in his eyes. "I didn’t want to get in the way of your recovery."
Flora reached out a hand, her fingers brushing against his. "You were the one who brought back. You’re never in the way." Propping on her elbows, she tried to sit when Zander helped her.
"Sorry, I didn’t tell you anything," Flora said.
"You could have died," Zander murmured, his voice cracking under the fear he’d been carrying. "You slipped into a coma, and for a mont, I felt you fighting to stay away. You refused to return... As if you don’t need at all."
Flora looked up at him, her heart aching at the vulnerability in his eyes. "I’m so sorry, Zander. I wasn’t in my right mind," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I was drowning in my own fears. I truly believed that if I just left this world, everyone would finally be at peace. I thought everything would be better without ."
As she spoke, her eyes brimd with tears, the salt stinging her damp eyelashes until they clumped together.
"Is that all I am to you? Soone who would be better off if you were gone?" Zander’s voice ached. He leaned closer, searching her face for any sign of the woman he loved. "Do you not care for at all? Is there not even an ounce of affection for in that heart of yours?"
"I do care," Flora confessed, the words catching in her parched throat. "I care so much it terrifies . But I felt... I felt I wasn’t the right woman for a man like you. You deserve soone whole, soone untainted."
Zander flinched as if she had struck him. "It hurts, Flora," he stated, his gaze dropping to his hands. "It hurts that you think so little of ... That you think my love is so shallow I would only want you if you were perfect."
Flora clenched her fists, her knuckles white, before finally surrendering to the pull of her heart. She lunged forward, wrapping her arms fiercely around Zander’s neck and burying her face in the crook of his shoulder.
"Thank you for saving my life," she sobbed, her body trembling against his. "And I don’t find your love shallow, Zander. Never that. I only found myself unworthy of it. I wanted to give us a chance, I truly did, but when Alex returned, the fragile peace I’d built just shattered. He was a walking reminder of the darkness I tried to bury. He reminded of how I once wanted Alie and Noah dead."
She pulled back just enough to look at him, her face flushed with desperation. "I recalled every sin, every wrong I ever committed. I couldn’t face any of you, especially not you. I wanted to end Alex myself, to protect everyone, but I was too weak. I was paralyzed by the fear that he would hurt my sister and my nephew because of . I’m sorry... I am so, so sorry."
Zander’s heart bled as he listened to her painful sobs, the weight of her secret finally laid bare between them. He moved with tenderness, cupping her face in his large, warm hands. He used his thumbs to brush away the fresh tears that continued to stream from her eyes.
"Everything has turned out well now, Flora," Zander said. "Stop crying. You aren’t that person anymore."
Flora humd softly, her breath still hitching as she sniffled and tried to steady herself. "I understand now," she whispered, regaining a sliver of strength. "I won’t hurt myself anymore. I promise."
Zander smiled, a genuine look of relief washing over his tired features as he nodded. "That’s great. That is all I need to hear. Now, you should take so more rest, okay? Did you manage to eat anything?"
Flora wiped the remaining dampness from her cheeks with the back of her hands. "Yes, I had the porridge earlier. I’ve been waiting for you to co... I’m just glad you did." She paused, her gaze turning curious as she looked at him. "And Zander... I heard the whispers. I heard that you’re my mate. Why didn’t you tell ? You caught my scent, but I didn’t feel the sa. Why was the connection only one-sided?"
Zander’s expression softened into one of gentle lancholy. He reached out, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Because you’re still dwelling on your past, Flora. Your heart is so guarded that you don’t truly want to love yet," he whispered.
He took a slow breath, his eyes locking onto hers with a profound honesty. "You know that I don’t like forcing anyone. I didn’t want to use a bond to pressure you into being with ; that’s not my way. I wanted you to develop feelings for naturally, to heal yourself along the way so that when you finally chose , it was because you wanted to, not because the moon dictated it."
Zander planted a kiss on the middle of her forehead. His fingers brushing her bangs gently. "Flora, from now on, you’ll start fresh in every aspect of your life. Don’t live in the guilt anymore. You need to be the best version of yourself. And I know, you will."
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