There was absolute, suffocating silence inside the small pavilion as the weight of Emmett's declaration hung in the freezing air.
"I love you."
Severine could only stare at him with utter bewilderment, her gray eyes wide with shock.
For a long, agonizing moment, the soft snow gliding down the decorative rockery was the only thing that filled the space between them other than the darkness of the evening.
"You... What did you say?" she finally asked, her voice hushed, as if she couldn't quite process the words that had just left his lips.
No, why was she even sitting here with him in the first place?
A sudden wave of exasperation washed over her, and in her mind, she instantly shifted the blame.
It was all Killian's fault!
If she hadn't been busy thinking whether she should tell Killian about the morning incident or not, this wouldn't have happened!
