Julian guided her to the bed and sat her down carefully, like she was made of something that could shatter. Then he did something she wasn't expecting, he lowered himself down in front of her. All the way down, until he was kneeling on the floor at her feet, eye level, looking up at her.
She stared at him.
He reached up with both hands and wiped her face. Left cheek, right cheek. Slow and deliberate. His thumbs are gentle against her skin.
"Look at me," he said. She shook her head. Turned her face slightly to the side.
"Amara. Look at me."
She couldn't. She genuinely couldn't. Because looking at him meant seeing exactly how much she had hurt him, and she was not ready to face that yet.
Julian didn't force it. He just stayed there, kneeling in front of her, patient in the way that only a man who truly loved someone could be patient after being hurt by them.
Then he said, very quietly.
