Dahlia

Three words. Instant freeze.

Shit.

A declaration so simple and yet so devastating that my body doesn't know what to do with it. My mind blanks completely into white noise and static where thoughts should be.

"What did you just say?" My voice sounds foreign, like it's coming from somewhere else.

"I love you," Alaric repeats, his eyes not leaving mine. "That's the truth you wanted, isn't it? The one without the pretty wrapping."

The cellar suddenly ...