He'd wanted to say "our son."
But he'd stopped himself.
"She agreed." Kayden continued. "I also let her know you were safe, that you'd... be back later."
I stared at him. At the profile of his face.
"You didn't have to do that." I heard myself say, my voice carrying an indescribable complexity. "You and I... we..."
"You should know this doesn't mean anything—" I took a deep breath, forcing the words out. "What just happened, it was just... the drug, just impulse, we should treat it as..."
"I'm sorry."
Kayden suddenly interrupted. The words stuck in my throat.
"I'm sorry." He repeated, turning to face me, those silver eyes looking straight into mine. "Layla, for so many things."
My heart started beating irregularly.
"I've done so much wrong. Since seven years ago... no, seventeen years ago." Kayden spoke slowly, as if recalling, unfolding a sealed secret.
"For the ten years you silently loved me, I never noticed. After we confirmed we were fated mates, I shouldn't have chosen to run. And Finn's death," he closed his eyes, voice beginning to shake, "I should have believed you."
Every sentence was a needle stabbing into my heart. Those wounds I thought had scabbed over were being torn open all at once.
"I drove you off that cliff," he opened his eyes, reddening, "made you bear everything alone. Pregnant alone. Gave birth to Kai alone. Alone..." His voice broke. "I'm sorry, Layla."
I didn't know what to think.
This was the first time we'd truly sat together facing the past. No interruptions, no pretenses, no desperate "Ella Ross," just Layla Gray and Kayden Blackwood.
Seven years ago seemed so distant, but some pain gets carved into your bones, awakened with double force in midnight dreams and chance reunions. My eyes started stinging again. The burning spread from my eyes to my nose, to my throat, until I could barely speak.
"Too late." I finally squeezed out those words, voice hoarse and powerless. "Kayden, these words... It's too late."
"They don't mean anything anymore." I blinked rapidly, holding back the tears threatening to spill.
"Don't mean anything?" Kayden laughed bitterly, sighing.
"What about the fact that I love you?" His voice was soft, like he was afraid I wouldn't hear, yet afraid I would. "Does that mean nothing?"
I love you?
"What did you say?" My brain went blank, instinct replacing reason as I asked, my voice so timid it could have been blown away by the wind.
"I love you," Kayden repeated, this time clearer, more certain, like a vow. "I'm absolutely sure."
Tears blurred my vision again. I blinked desperately, trying to see his face clearly, but the more I blinked, the more tears came.
"After Anna said you'd disappeared," Kayden said, not touching me, just looking at me like that, "I lost all ability to think."
"Evan pulled every camera feed, checked every record... but Baltimore's huge. You could have been anywhere." His hand clenched into a fist on his thigh.
"Seven years ago, you vanished into that black water. The rescue team dove again and again, but found nothing..."
His voice grew hoarser, until finally tears slid from the corners of his eyes.
"That helpless feeling... tonight, it tore me apart all over again. I didn't know where to find you."
