Axel just confessed his feelings to me. He loved me. What do I do with this?
Why was my heart shuddering so badly like it'd been forgotten in a deep freezer for days?
Why did my eyes sting like onion juice had been accidentally smeared into it?
"I love you," he repeated, this time with more certainty. "I've been such an idiot. I didn't realize it at first. But maybe… maybe I started falling for you the moment Álvaro threw you out of that room during the Luna Gala. Or maybe it was later. I don't know. All I know is… I've been drawn to you. Protective. Obsessed, even. And it wasn't just guilt. It was never just guilt. I love you, María José."
Tears flooded my eyes again, but this time they were different. Today, I didn't shed tears from grief but joy. From the sharp, radiant joy of having someone you love say they love you back.
I surged forward, about to kiss him again…
… But I stopped. My lips were barely an inch from his when I remembered.
The wedding. Rosa. His fiancée.
