Minato froze, his eyes darting back to her. Seeing her cry hit him harder than he expected. The anger that had been boiling in his chest started to crumble, replaced by confusion and guilt...
He stepped closer, his tone softer but still somewhat unsure of his feelings. "No, Amelia, I don't hate you…"
She shook her head, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "Then why won't you look at me the same way anymore?"
Minato hesitated, his throat tightening. "Because I don't know what to feel right now."
Amelia bit her lip, trying to steady her voice. "I never lied because I wanted to hurt you, Minato. I just… didn't want that part of my life to come between us."
He sighed, taking another step closer. "You could've trusted me enough to tell me."
Her tears fell harder now, her shoulders shaking slightly. "I was scared you'd walk away if you knew."
Minato stared at her for a long second, then exhaled deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Why would I do that?"
