She had expected some kind of reaction from him, but it was still disconcerting to see his eyes turn away from her and the silence that ensued.
Even though she wanted to wrap her arms around him and just erase the memories of that time, she let him be. She knew he had to process and that he would speak when he was ready.
What she wasn't ready for was what he would ask.
“But, you two were just friends, right? There was nothing else than that?”
Zhea's heart clenched painfully. Where did his mind go to even ask that of her?
"No, Simon, there wasn't. We were just friends...for my part at least." she said, surprise and hurt an undercurrent in her voice. She stepped closer to him and took his hands.
"There's only ever been you, Simon." she told him earnestly, wanting to erase any doubt that he might have had, despite the pain that he would think that she would ever have him replaced.
"Even when you were gone, you still had my heart. No one will ever take your place."
As she thought about it, she couldn't blame him for thinking it. They hadn't exactly been truthful about their feelings for each other back then. Of course he would think that she had moved on from him. If she was anyone else, it may even have merit.
Briefly, she wrapped her arms around his waist.
"I'm sorry if my explanation gave you any doubt. It wasn't my intention." she mumbled into his chest. She held on for another moment before pulling back again.
"We should probably get this interrogation done so we can decide what to do with him." she said.
"Shall we? Together?" She motioned toward the door that led to the make-shift cells.
Zhea reached Edwin's cell ahead of Simon, as he had stopped to speak to one of the guards.
"Zhea! Thank the Force you're alive!" he cried as he saw her approach.
"No thanks to you, Edwin." she said rather coolly.
His face fell as he averted his gaze in shame.
"I'm sorry. It all happened so fast, I was still trying to decide how to handle it..." he started, but then he caught sight of Simon.
"Oh, of course you're here right now!" he snapped at him.
"You never let her move on her own!"
Zhea was taken aback by his sudden hostility.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked rather sharply.
Edwin turned his dark eyes back at her.
"Oh, come on, Zhea. You're not that naive." he told her.
"It was a happy day for many of us the day he left, because some of us actually stood a chance with you then." He looked back at Simon with a sneer.
"How'd you reel her back in, hm? How long before you leave and I have to pick up the damn pieces all over again?" he snapped.
"You don't deserve her. You never did. You should have stayed missing for good."
The Kiffar couldn't believe what she was hearing.
She couldn't blame Simon in the slightest if he retaliated in any way. Shaking her head, she stepped back, disgust warring with disbelief on her face as she watched the unveiled, heartless villain in that cell.
"No true Jedi would act this way..." she whispered to herself before her face hardened, her usually warm blue eyes turning icy cold. She turned toward Simon, laying a hand on his arm.
"Do what you want with him. I'm done...I can't listen to any more of this." she told him. She never handed someone over willingly to him to exact his judgement. He would know that it was against her character.
She gave Edwin one more sharp look before walking back down the corridor.
"Oh! You have her brainwashed into a full-blown Imperial now, too?!" echoed after her and it took all her self control to not retaliate and let Simon handle it instead.