Vel's gears almost melted out of his chest, but somehow he managed to keep his emotions welled up as she spoke. Of course, he knew that this topic couldn't really be avoided, not after it had been so brutally torn open earlier.
Her words made him want to turn his head away, but he held her gaze when she turned to face him. Yes, he had hidden something from her. Something better off left buried, but the sting of raw act still made itself clear.
"There's nothing else to hide," Vel said, her peck still buzzing on his cheek. His face straightened as he looked her over, afraid that she would be different somehow. Finally, though, he settled on a smile and stroked her cheek, all the way up to her temple where he cradled her head.
"When you came into my life, all of that was just... a buried memory. It had all finally stopped hurting," he said, hugging her tight and hiding his face in her shoulder.
"I couldn't leave them where they were."
He didn't want that to settle, and his hands tightened around her. He kissed her chin, needy and apologetic.
"So I laid them all to rest in the safest place I knew. There are no hidden doors in this tower. No illusionary walls or moving bookshelves. Just one quiet place where they can finally be undisturbed."