An amused smile pulled at his lips when she was surprised that he loved her. Maybe that should've been the first thing he said. It would've made things so easy--only it wasn't easy for him to say. That was the catch, wasn't it?
"I still do," he said softly. He would've reached out to touch her hand, but her surprise made it obvious that she didn't still love him. With time, maybe, but he would let her guide the pace, for now. "You haven't done enough to make me stop. I've been respecting your wishes and giving you distance, but that doesn't mean I've stopped wanting to be around you."