CHAPTER 324
KATYA POV
"…What?" The word escaped before I could stop it. I stared at him, genuinely wondering if I had somehow misheard.
Of all the things I had expected Romeo to say, that question hadn't even crossed my mind.
He didn't repeat himself. He simply looked at me, waiting. The silence stretched between us again, but this time it felt different. Less suffocating.
More… uncertain.
For him?
No.
That couldn't be right. I was probably imagining it.
"I've…" I cleared my throat softly. Don't be scared. "I've been fine." My answer came out shorter than intended.
It was also only half true. He gave a single nod.
Nothing more. I waited for him to continue.
Another breeze swept through the garden, lifting a few loose strands from my messy bun. Somewhere beyond the roses, a gardener pushed a wheelbarrow across the gravel path.
The entire estate carried on as though this conversation wasn't the strangest thing happening today.
Romeo spoke again.
