"I… haven't given you my true gift yet," she whispered.
I half expected something like this from her. Lisa had always worn her heart so openly, even when she thought she was guarding it. And knowing her as I did, I understood the weight behind her words.
"Your true gift?" I asked, feigning ignorance, though my smile betrayed that I already knew.
Her cheeks flushed, a storm of embarrassment and irritation flickering in her eyes. "Y… you know…"
I leaned back against the headboard, close enough that our shoulders brushed.
"Do you truly want it, Lisa?" My hand hovered near hers, not touching yet, as if waiting for her final consent.
She turned her gaze away, the tips of her ears glowing red. "I… in the capital, there will be Rumia. And surely others too. You'll meet more women… maybe you'll forget me." The thought clearly gnawed at her; her words came out sharp but brittle, threaded with fear.
