Tristan & Evelyn: A Confession

Tristan paused, struggling with his conflicting emotions, unsure whether to continue or stop. Evelyn clutched his arm, tears welling in her eyes. ‘I’m fine.’ ‘I’ll be gentle,’ Tristan assured her, torn between his desires and his concern for her well-being. ‘Okay.’ Over an hour later, Tristan held Evelyn in his arms, his body covered in a sheen of sweat. He wasn’t exhausted; he was just overwhelmed with nerves and caution. He worried about hurting her or making her uncomfortable, so he tried to comfort her with tender words throughout their encounter. Evelyn, too, felt an unfamiliar exhaustion. She nestled against Tristan’s arm, desperately in need of sleep. ‘I’m sorry, Evelyn,’ Tristan’s voice trembled. Evelyn turned to face him. ‘What’s wrong?’ ‘I... I shouldn’t have done that.’ ‘I did it on my own will. You don’t have to apologise,’ she said. Evelyn felt a mix of confusion and amusement as she thought back to what happened earlier. ‘Who would dare to mess with our infamous Mr Valent