Pierce was temporarily rendered speechless by Arianna's words. He expected her to lay into him, but he hadn't expected her to be so blunt. Pierce received Arianna's message loud and clear, and now it was his turn to reassure her that he could be the partner that she needed. Pierce cleared his throat before he addressed her.

"Thank you...for telling me how you feel. I've gained some much-needed perspective while you were away. It sucked. I missed every single second you weren't here, but I needed it, and most of all, you needed it. I'll admit...I rushed it. I told you I loved you before I was 100% sure, which...