There was a wave of clarity that came along in his mind. It was unexpected, and he didn’t exactly know why it had happened, but if Cruz tried to claim that it was unwelcome, he would be a total and utter liar.
He started to remember to breathe almost right after Isabelle asked him if he was doing better. Cruz could focus again. Focus on her. It wasn’t easy, but it helped. It helped a lot. Speech was still a little too difficult for him in that moment, but he was able to provide a nod. Thankfully, the repetitive movement of his head did not make him want to hurl, although his stomach still felt slightly knotted.
“Can…” he coughed a little, oddly hoarse. A second later, and Cruz tried again. “Can we find somewhere to sit down, please? Kind of… away from as many people as we can?” Isabelle knew. She knew the thing that Cruz had tried to keep hidden from everyone, even his closest friends. There was no forgetting that. Or, if there was, he didn’t know how to do it. She wasn’t going to forget it, which meant that, well, he needed to tell her.
His body was a little stiff, but he knew he could manage. It wasn’t a conversation that he wanted to have, right there in the middle of the fair. Off to the side, secluded, that was all he needed.