"You're right. I had a thousand opportunities to tell you, but I didn't. Then it was like... the longer I went without telling you, the more I convinced myself you'd never forgive me. I got it into my head that so long as I was protecting you, then you never needed to know. I couldn't..." He trailed off, his words drying up. Taking a swallow of his drink, he leaned his head back on the sofa to look at the ceiling for strength or something. "I was scared, Dare."
