Axel stepped closer to Ivan before he could say anything more, but not close enough to reveal what they truly were to each other.
There was still a careful distance between them, a space meant for the watching eyes around them.
"Will you just stop?" Axel asked, his voice strained.
Ivan turned to face him fully. "Then what do you want?" he demanded, though his tone wasn't loud. It was wounded. "I thought this was what you wanted, a public relationship. Or maybe the truth is simpler." His jaw tightened. "Maybe you just don't love me anymore, and if that's the case, then you can just say so, I'll respect that."
Axel's chest tightened painfully. For once, he couldn't bring himself to lie to Ivan anymore.
"It's not that," he said quietly. "The problem isn't that I don't love you anymore. I already told you what the problem is."
The words felt heavy the moment they left his mouth.
