(Callan)
I held my breath as I waited for her answer, my heart pounding in my chest so fast. Naia stood there, her arms still crossed. The silence between us was tense and I wasn't sure what her answer would be.
I could hear Varek growling in my head, urging me to push harder, to make her understand, but I couldn’t rush this. I had to let her come to the decision on her own.
Finally, she let out a long breath and shook her head. “Callan, I don’t even know where to start with all of this. You show up out of nowhere after disappearing for weeks, and drop… this bomb on me? And now you expect me to just go along with it?”
“I’m not expecting anything,” I said quickly. “I just need you to know the truth. I need you to understand why I’ve been acting the way I have.”
Her eyes narrowed, and
