"Because..."
Soren paused, feeling the moment press down on him.
For a split second, the words I love you almost escaped his lips, but he caught them at the last moment and held them back. It didn't feel right to say it now. Dropping a confession like that while she was struggling to breathe felt less like a comfort and more like an emotional trap, forcing her to process his feelings when she barely had the strength to manage her own. Honestly, he wasn't sure he was ready to cross that line yet either.
So, he settled on the one truth he could give her right now.
"Because... you're the only reason I keep pushing forward."
Ethea's eyes widened slightly, her breath catching as she stared up at him. She shook her head faintly, a fractured whisper escaping her lips before she could stop it.
"B-But... you always... get hurt... because of me..."
