Alice sat and looked at Oliver who had now grown silent and looked into the fire with a blank expression. Alice didn’t see the confident man she had met the night of the fundraiser, the man who ended every sentence with a light-hearted giggle, the man who seemed as if the world could throw nothing at him that he could not handle, the man who seemed to never let anyone close enough to know his true feelings. No, this was not the same man.
The man that sat before her, had a clear look of sadness and guilt in his eyes for his eyes glimmered from the tears that he held back. This man did not cover his emotions or what he really had on his mind, he had let down all the barriers between himself and her. He was completely vulnerable.
“None of it was your fault Oliver," said Alice, breaking the silence. "You didn’t try taking Helena away from a life that was better for her. Helena made the choice to leave with you, no one forced her.”