The room fell quiet; the only sound Sera could hear was the thundering of her own heart.
She clenched her fists.
Well…
She'd said so much; she might as well tell him everything.
She was going to die from embarrassment soon anyway…
"It's true that a part of it is tradition."
She confessed, clutching her dress, and looked away.
She stared very hard at a random spot on his shoulder.
Because looking at him would kill her!
Of that much she was sure...
"Enough of my name has been dragged through the mud; I at least wanted to do this right…"
The rumors had followed her for years.
Whispers...
Cruel assumptions.
Judgments!
But none of them had ever been true.
She'd spent most of her life chasing people who didn't love her.
Not collecting lovers...
"But---"
She paused.
Wetting her lips as she forced herself to speak…
"If I'm ever going to be that close to someone – be that vulnerable and naked – I want it to be for the right kind of reasons. Like…"
Her lips trembled.
