~ASHTON~

Ariel stood before me, her eyes shimmering. Her whisper cut through the silence like a blade.

"Does it truly matter what I think?"

The words hit me harder than any challenge in this cursed game. I reached for her hand instinctively, my fingers wrapping around hers, squeezing with a desperation I hoped she couldn't feel. "Of course," I say, my voice rougher than I intended it to be. "Of course it matters what you think, Ariel. More than anything."

I hate that she needs to ask ...