FORTY-EIGHT

Eden pov

My breath hitched as an intense ping or pain hit my chest. I wasn’t sure where the pain came from, but once Lucius grabbed my hand and held it, the pain faded.

His eyes were trained on something in the distance, and I swear, I could see tears forming in them. So that was where the pain came from - I felt a little bit of what Lucius was feeling.

“It’s fine,” I whispered. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. We can just sit in silence, take this moment for yourself and then, we will go back to the castle to get you some rest.”

“No,” Lucius choked and shook his head. “Before our relationship evolves into something I can’t afford to lose. Fuck it, it’s already there, I just can’t lose you, Eden. The possibility of seeing you walk away from me scares me like nothing ever has.”

I had never felt nearly as confused as I was now. Why did he need to talk about the relationship, if he brought me here to show me the place and already mentioned his mother?

“I don’t u