Bella suddenly lifted her head. Her green eyes, still wet with tears, were pleading and terrified.
"Frost… be honest with me. Does Caden love me?"
Frost looked straight into her eyes. His expression was sad, but unwavering.
"I'm sorry, Bella… but I can't lie to you. In my opinion, honestly… Caden doesn't love you. Not the way you love him."
Bella broke down, sobbing, her shoulders shaking with pain. Frost panicked slightly and awkwardly pulled her into his arms, trying to comfort her.
"Hey… please don't cry. It's not that he doesn't care about you at all… he does. But not in the same way. It's different."
Bella raised her head, her voice trembling:
"Then why… when I asked him to be together, he didn't say no? Why did he accept?"
Frost sighed and sat down beside her against the rock.
"After spending time with all of you, after talking with Zetch and calmly analyzing everything… I came to this conclusion: Caden doesn't love you romantically."
Bella whispered, defeated:
"Really…?"
"Yes. I'm sorry to say it so bluntly. But the sooner you accept it, the sooner you'll be able to move forward."
Frost took a deep breath before continuing, his tone gentle and thoughtful:
"You know, sometimes we confuse love, admiration, and deep appreciation. From what I've seen, Caden cares about you a lot. He values you deeply. You shared heavy secrets you couldn't tell anyone else. You were in the same situation, with the same destiny. That strengthened your bond… but it was a deep friendship. Nothing more."
Bella lowered her gaze, silent and sad. Frost continued:
"Then he met Aletha. Like him, she lost someone dear. He developed this protective instinct toward her. They argue often, yes… but if you really observe them, they're on the same wavelength without even realizing it."
Bella shook her head, lost.
"But still… I don't understand why he said yes to me."
Frost gave a faint, ironic smile.
"Because he's immature."
Bella let out a small laugh despite her tears.
"You might be several people in one, Frost. How can you be so wise and still act like that sometimes?"
Frost chuckled softly.
"Even a wise man can be foolish sometimes. And as for Caden… he simply couldn't say no to you. It was impossible for him to hurt you after everything you went through together. Even if, deep down, he knew it would hurt him in the long run. I'm almost certain he tested Aletha in some way to see if she had feelings for him… and she probably did the same—pretending she felt nothing so she wouldn't betray her friendship with you. That's why he said yes."
Bella wiped her tears, her voice still shaky but calmer now.
"I don't care about myself… All that matters is his happiness. Even if it's not with me."
Frost placed his hands on her shoulders, his expression proud and encouraging.
"Then if you truly want his happiness, take the first step for him. Because he'll never dare to do it himself. He doesn't want to hurt you. But without realizing it, he's being manipulated by that darkness, using his kindness against all of us."
Bella nodded slowly.
"Okay… I promise, I'll try to help him. Even if he's a coward. Sorry for the word."
Frost smiled broadly.
"Oh no, that's perfectly accurate. I'd even say… a scared chicken."
Bella burst into laughter—a sincere, freeing laugh—soon joined by Frost's own. For a moment, beneath the starry sky, the pain felt just a little lighter.