Lucien cleared his throat for the umpteenth time. Sophia, who was sitting on the bed, was already tired of waiting for him to speak.
They had been looking in different directions awkwardly ever since the King and Arabella left, and the silence between them was becoming unbearable.
Sophia had no idea why Lucien suddenly seemed so uncomfortable, but she could tell from the way he kept clearing his throat that whatever he wanted to say was not going to be pleasant.
Lucien finally cleared his throat again before speaking.
"How are you, Sophia?" he asked, choosing the most obvious question.
"I'm good. And you?" she asked awkwardly.
Lucien could only smile.
"You got me worried there for a second," Lucien said, his smile slowly fading. "So I'm glad you're okay. It will really make what I'm about to tell you easier. I want you to know that it was really hard for me to make this decision."
He stared at her for a moment, clearly struggling with his words.
