" Are you alright?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she said, letting out a noisy breath. "I'm just winded, I'm not that fragile."
"You've never been fragile," he replied, holding her gaze. "But something is bothering you."
She shook her head, biting her lip as she stared down at her boots. "I'm fine, Niall."
"You're certain?"
"I'm certain."
He dared to risk taking a few steps closer to her. trying to calm his pounding heart as he took her hands in his. "Are you sure this is what you want?"
She looked away, a sad smile crossing her face. "I don't even know what I want anymore."
A lump settled in his throat. He should leave, shouldn't press whatever was still between them, but he couldn't. Not while looking at the pained expression on her face.
"You know that I'm always here for you," he said, inwardly chastising himself for his foolishness as soon as the words slipped out.
She held his gaze, a haunted look in her eyes. "Are you?"
The simple question cut him to his core, leaving behind a physical ache, one that grew when he thought of how much he hadn't been there for her, not like he had wanted to be. Not like he had hoped. "
― Hannah E. Carey , The Betrayer: Tales of Pern Coen (Legacy, #1)
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![Hannah E. Carey quote : Are you alright?](/image/1123509.jpg)
"I'm fine," she said, letting out a noisy breath. "I'm just winded, I'm not that fragile."
"You've never been fragile," he replied, holding her gaze. "But something is bothering you."
She shook her head, biting her lip as she stared down at her boots. "I'm fine, Niall."
"You're certain?"
"I'm certain."
He dared to risk taking a few steps closer to her. trying to calm his pounding heart as he took her hands in his. "Are you sure this is what you want?"
She looked away, a sad smile crossing her face. "I don't even know what I want anymore."
A lump settled in his throat. He should leave, shouldn't press whatever was still between them, but he couldn't. Not while looking at the pained expression on her face.
"You know that I'm always here for you," he said, inwardly chastising himself for his foolishness as soon as the words slipped out.
She held his gaze, a haunted look in her eyes. "Are you?"
The simple question cut him to his core, leaving behind a physical ache, one that grew when he thought of how much he hadn't been there for her, not like he had wanted to be. Not like he had hoped." style="width:100%;margin:20px 0;"/>