"Somehow, I am not surprised," Mathias replies, his smile growing faintly. The fact that Veronica hasn't pulled away from him helps build the courage that he's searching for and he cups her cheek gently, still very aware of the scars on his hands.

"I don't like to think about that." There's a shift, the water rippling out around him as he moves closer to her. "It doesn't matter here, anyway. It shouldn't."