[Adell looked at the picture of Charlotte on his shelf, and a pit promptly formed in his stomach. Maybe this hadn't been the best idea, if he had to explain who Charlotte was, and what she was to him. It was a conversation he long dreaded having, one he tried very hard not to think about.
But it wasn't one he could avoid. And it wasn't one he should avoid. Of all people, Rozalin deserved answers about it. He couldn't hide that part of his history here from her. It wouldn't be right.]
That's Charlotte. Charlotte Hazelrink. Like I said, she was Sylvia's best friend, even if she came from another country. Like you, she was also a princess, if you can believe it. I met Charlotte very early in my stay here... and she was one of my earliest friends. She was free-spirited, kind, caring, a little... weird sometimes, but also extremely empathetic to people and the world around her.
[He didn't need to go on about how she was beautiful or attractive. That was plainly evident in the picture, though the same could be said about most of the women in these photographs.
He shifted his weight back on his heels and got serious again. This is where things would inevitably get... unpleasant.]
The two of us ended up getting very close over time. We... really just enjoyed each other's company a lot.
[He swallowed a knot in his throat. It was hard to talk about this, but it had to be done. He kept his tone level, as best as he could manage, anyway, and as forthright as possible.]
After more than a year of being close friends we both realized... there was more between us than just friendship. She and I pretty much fell for one another after that. We dated and were... in love, until she vanished about a year and a half ago.
[There. It was out there. A tough note to end on, but for now, he wasn't sure else where to go right now, and he didn't know how Rozalin would react to hearing that. His own feelings on the matter were still complicated and a mess.]
no subject
But it wasn't one he could avoid. And it wasn't one he should avoid. Of all people, Rozalin deserved answers about it. He couldn't hide that part of his history here from her. It wouldn't be right.]
That's Charlotte. Charlotte Hazelrink. Like I said, she was Sylvia's best friend, even if she came from another country. Like you, she was also a princess, if you can believe it. I met Charlotte very early in my stay here... and she was one of my earliest friends. She was free-spirited, kind, caring, a little... weird sometimes, but also extremely empathetic to people and the world around her.
[He didn't need to go on about how she was beautiful or attractive. That was plainly evident in the picture, though the same could be said about most of the women in these photographs.
He shifted his weight back on his heels and got serious again. This is where things would inevitably get... unpleasant.]
The two of us ended up getting very close over time. We... really just enjoyed each other's company a lot.
[He swallowed a knot in his throat. It was hard to talk about this, but it had to be done. He kept his tone level, as best as he could manage, anyway, and as forthright as possible.]
After more than a year of being close friends we both realized... there was more between us than just friendship. She and I pretty much fell for one another after that. We dated and were... in love, until she vanished about a year and a half ago.
[There. It was out there. A tough note to end on, but for now, he wasn't sure else where to go right now, and he didn't know how Rozalin would react to hearing that. His own feelings on the matter were still complicated and a mess.]