Evey slowly straightened up from where she sat, as he leaned forward. His words alone were enough to make her believe that he might still be able to... that they might still... It mattered that he was willing to sacrifice this much for her. But more than that, it mattered that he saw a way to love her, even while acknowledging that she wasn't the person he knew, exactly.
And that he wanted to get to know her again... that was the most important part.
Evey was used to having a clear direction. She had grown accustomed to quickly identifying the right thing to do - regardless of the cost - and moving toward them with efficiency. She didn't have that now. She didn't know what was right. And operating with her heart was at points both foreign and easily understandable, in such a way that it utterly confused her. She couldn't see straight at all.
In a way, Aidan's offer made it worse.
But he'd given her a task, and in light of her uncertainty, the task seemed the best option. Moistening her lips, she thought it through carefully. Aidan didn't know, but he was the very first person she'd told about having fallen in love with John Preston. Even John didn't know - or if he did, it wasn't by verbal confirmation. The situation with him had changed since the City found their island, and when she moved out of his flat, it'd changed again. Right now, she didn't know where she and John stood. She didn't even know if he loved her in return.
It wouldn't do to tell Aidan that. If... If John didn't love her in the same way, then the entire conversation was moot anyway. But Aidan might feel like second choice, and that wasn't it at all. She didn't want to give him that impression at any point. With a breath, she finally stood from the ground and sat herself back down on the bench beside Aidan.
"It will take time," she said. "For all of it." Time for him to get to know her again. Time for them to understand if what they had now was something they wanted. Time for her to discover what lie between herself and John - and whether he could consider what Aidan had proposed.... all of it would take time. "Can you give me that?