Later that evening, after Chloe had gone to bed, they sat on the couch in silence, the weight of their unspoken words hanging heavily in the air. The dragon slaying kiss had broken the ice but there was so much more below the surface that still needed to be said. Libby could feel the ache in her chest, the fear and regret gnawing at her insides. She wanted desperately to make things right between them, but she didn’t know where to begin.
Finally, she mustered the courage to speak, her voice barely a whisper. “Paul, I... I need to explain why I said no,” she began, her hands trembling in her lap. “I’m scared. Scared of getting hurt again, of another marriage falling apart. Even though I’ve managed to stay friends with Daniel, it still broke my heart.”
Paul turned towards her, his face a m
