"I don't know," Lottie answered honestly. "I can't answer that for you. Nobody can answer that but you, and I think you already know the answer, you just don't want to face it yet. I can't make you. Nobody can do that but you."
Which, while true, was probably not all that comforting for Ninkasi to hear. With a sigh, she continued, "Look, I can't tel you what you should do, but I know what I'd do. It's not easy. It's very scary. But you know what? Fear is kind of holding you in place right now anyway. So would taking that next step, that next terrifying step, be any worse? Or would you rather stay where you are right now?"
Shaking her head after a sip of beer, she said, "I couldn't hold it in. I had to let it out, so that I could take the next step. Because even if he hadn't loved me back, at least I would have known and I would have been able to move forward. Being stuck in that place, I couldn't stand it. But that's me. That's what I would do, what I did do."
Tilting her head to the side, Lottie looked over at Ninkasi for a long moment. "Maybe your next step isn't that big though. Maybe you don't need to tell him. Maybe you should start with telling yourself." She'd already alluded to it, but Ninkasi had avoided outright saying it. So Philotes asked very gently, "Are you in love with Kratos?"