She hesitated; her first inclination was to say “cold”—it almost fit the way they’d lost their understanding of each other. Lloyd’s recent distance was an unsettling contrast to the man who had confessed his love to her, leaving Chloe filled with doubts and fears.
“Then...why not just tell him?” Ian proposed.
“T-Tell him? Tell him what?” Chloe stammered back.
“Everything. Your feelings, your concerns, all of it.”
“But...is that really okay? Won’t he find it too much? I don’t want to burden him...”
Ian spoke with conviction. “While his reaction is something I cannot speak on, what I can tell you is that you will not be burdening him with anything. Sharing is not a burden. Communication is not a burden. But should you bottle up your fears and assumptions and allow them to fester, not knowing the moment their vessels may fail—that will be a burden to you both. Share everything. Talk about everything. If you’re happy, share that happiness. If something troubles you, find a way forward together, for isn’t that what love is truly about? Walking together through all of life’s moments, both good and bad?”
Chloe was momentarily speechless, awed by Ian’s eloquence and insight. They resonated with her deeply, seeming to settle precisely where they were needed in her heart.
“My apologies, was that too didactic?” Ian asked, a touch of sheepishness in his voice as he scratched his cheek. “Please, take my words as just one perspective.”
Chloe quickly shook her head, still processing the depth of his advice. “No, not at all. I think that was just what I needed to hear.” She bowed deeply in gratitude. “Thank you so much, Ian.”
She was so glad she’d opened up. The weight of her concerns, which had been consuming her for days, suddenly felt lighter. Talking to Ian had dispelled her worries, as if they had never existed in the first place.
Ian returned her gratitude with a gentle smile. “I understand your hesitation about being open with Sir Lloyd, but I believe he will welcome your honesty. He loves you dearly—that much was clear to me from just a glance.” The memory of Lloyd, anxious and desperate, gripping Ian’s shoulders as he inquired about Chloe, flickered in Ian’s mind. He’d known in that moment that he didn’t stand a chance. “He is not one to turn up his nose at your worries, much less abandon you because of them. You know this better than anyone else, do you not, Miss Chloe?”
Chloe clenched her fists, struck by the truth in Ian’s words. Lloyd was not the kind to turn away. He had listened and accepted every part of her story: the birthmark, the abuse, the mortal danger she’d faced at the hands of her own mother. He had embraced her past without judgment. Lloyd was a man who hated injustice, untruths, and the irrational, and he would never ignore someone in need.
That is the man you fell in love with, Chloe.
To doubt Lloyd’s sincerity now would be an injustice to his character and a grave breach of trust. It would be an unforgivable affront against Lloyd, against her, against them.
“And you know, Miss Chloe—I, too, find myself quite smitten with you.”
Ian’s declaration took Chloe completely by surprise. She shrieked, her shock echoing through the quiet bookstore.
“Oh, I’m sorry; was that inappropriate?” Ian teased lightly.
Chloe, still reeling from his words, replied, “I-It wasn’t so much inappropriate as it was completely uncalled for...” She couldn’t bring herself to meet Ian’s eyes, her cheeks flushed.
“Kind, eager, diligent, and with a lovely smile to boot. What’s not to adore?”
Chloe took a step back, a mix of flattery and discomfort evident in her response. “I’m... I’m very flattered, but... I’m sorry!” She bowed deeply, her voice overflowing with apology. “You’re a wonderful person, Ian, but...but I can’t...”
Right on the heels of the first confession of her life, Chloe found herself having to author her first rejection. Caught between the thrill of receiving such admiration and the guilt of having to turn it down, Chloe didn’t know what to do.
However, Ian suddenly laughed, a hand covering his mouth. “You really are kindhearted, aren’t you?”
Chloe cautiously lifted her head to meet Ian’s gaze; what she saw was a relaxed smile of relief. “It was a joke. Just a joke and nothing more. I do admire you, but as a dear friend.”
“Oh...” Chloe let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. The tension drained from her body. “I-I’m sorry. I don’t know where I get off, jumping to conclusions like that.”
“No, no, please. I set you up to fail, employing such a misleading expression,” Ian reassured her, his demeanor calm.
Chloe sighed in relief, but a part of her couldn’t shake a feeling—a trace of melancholy she thought she saw lingering behind his eyes.
“However, everything I said about your character I said with the utmost sincerity,” Ian added. “I see what Lloyd sees in you; you should hold your head high.”
Chloe uttered a quiet word of thanks, still marked by her habitual unease at receiving praise. It was an issue of confidence, as Ian had articulated so well, but she felt more worthy of these comments lately—a clear sign that something was changing. “Yes, thank you,” she said, this time a little more steady. “I feel a lot better now, about many things, actually.”
“That’s wonderful to hear,” Ian said, his smile genuine.
“I’ve taken up so much of your time yet again,” Chloe said. “And I always seem to be the one receiving help from you. I promise to return the favor the next time I see you.”
Ian waved away her concern. “Oh, there’s no need for that between us. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation.”
“I insist! Next time, I’ll bring you something special.”
A distinctly delicious memory struck Ian. “How about more of those delightful cookies you brought last time? I haven’t stopped thinking about them.”
“Absolutely! I’ll bring you a whole rucksack full next time.”
“A whole rucksack might be too much. Maybe just two palms’ worth instead?”
Chloe chuckled at his joke, coaxing a warm smile from Ian’s own lips. After bidding farewell, she left the bookstore feeling lighter, her heart as clear and open as the sky after the rain.