Chapter 51

Blossom POV

With that in mind, he took a deep breath and began, "It hasn't been easy for me to come to terms with Eliza's death. Learning to live without her has been even harder." I could see the weight of his words hanging in the air; I was both perplexed and intrigued.

"Eliza and I had a bond unlike yours and mine. I knew her from a young age, but the most intimate aspects of our relationship didn't reveal themselves until after we married." He paused, tilting his head back as if struggling to find the right words.

She'll never understand what I'm trying to say, he thought, but then I heard myself responding to his inner turmoil. "Try me. I'm way more understanding than you may realize." My unexpected reply took him by surprise, but he quickly remembered the strength of our connection and continued.

"It's hard for me to lay bare my heart, so please bear with me," he said. I understood how strong he seemed, how he presented himself to the world, but I could see through the façade.