"Not knowing who you were was only part of the reason why I did not and haven't marked you yet," Roman said quietly, breaking the silence that had settled between them like a heavy blanket.
His voice was steady, but beneath that calm exterior was a tension Tessy immediately picked up on. He was holding back something. Something heavier than the words he had just spoken. Something that had been buried deep in his chest for far too long.
Tessy tilted her head slightly, curiosity already tugging at her, knitting a small line between her brows. She could sense there was more. She waited.
Roman looked at her face carefully, his eyes studying every inch of her expression before he continued. "There is another reason."
He paused after that, and the stillness that followed made the air seem thicker. He did not look away. He was gauging her reaction, searching for something in her eyes, perhaps a readiness or a signal that she could handle the rest of what he had to say.
