He had nothing to hide behind anymore. No fears, no hang-ups or worries to tear him apart.
He loved her.
He now only wished it could have been as simple as that. But he'd lost her.
She'd gone without letting him say those three words that might have repaired the fractures between them.
Perhaps it was for the best: he'd never have let her go if those words had passed his lips, he couldn't have.
Nowadays, he rarely allowed himself to dwell upon the what-if's; they were too painful to think about.
All he knew was that he loved her.