I let his thundering heartbeat soothe me until he tilts my chin up and forces me to look at him. “There are over a million words in our language. But none of them can describe the way you make me feel. You were a risk, a mystery, and the most certain thing I’ve ever known.” He scans my face as if he’s trying to memorize every line, every feature, every expression, every last detail- and I can feel my broken heart aching in my throat.
Before I can stop myself, knowing I would be allowing myself to appear not just broken but also desperate and pathetic, I whisper- barely whisper, “I told you that I want this life.” I force air inside me and feel it burn its way all the way down my throat to my lungs. “So, if all of this is how you feel then-”
“This isn’t optional. I don’t have a choice,
