CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

BRYAN

“...and I love you.”

Those are the words that leave the beautiful and enticing lips of Diana.

I hear them, and then it's a second, then two seconds, then three seconds, then four seconds, and then five seconds, before Diana starts calling out my name, and I'm forced back to the consciousness of the environment around me.

“Bryan?”

“Bryan?”

“Bryan?”

“Yh?” I reply, almost still lost.

“Are you okay? Did you even hear me?” She asks in a chuckle.

“Yes D, Thank you.”

Thank you? I must be a fool.

There's silence for a hot five seconds, before she forces an awkward smile and says: “Okay.”

There's so much pain in her voice when she says that, that it sends a sting to my eyes. Once again, those words that always fail me, I can't say anything, I don't know what to say.

I take in a deep and frustrated breath, and I try to explain. I want to explain, but I'm not sure I know what exactly is wrong, or why exactly I froze.

Why exactly I can't say those words “I love you” back to her, especiall