He let out a weak chuckle, sweat gathering in beads along his forehead, catching the low light. His hand, when it found mine, was cold.“You heard me the first time..”I stayed silent anyway, searching his face, dazed, terrified that if I blinked the words would dissolve and I’d discover I had imagined them out of desperation. His eyes held mine, steady even as everything else about him seemed to be slipping. After a moment he exhaled, a thin wet breath rattling faintly in his chest, and a small, tired smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.“I said. I love you.”That was all it took. The tears that had paused broke loose all at once, spilling faster than before, because hearing it a second time made it real in a way the first one hadn’t let me accept.His hand rose again, trembling faintly with the effort, and his thumb dragged across my cheek in a clumsy attempt to wipe away the tears. It didn’t work and he only smeared them further, salt and heat spreading beneath his rough tou
Last Updated : 2026-09-07 Read more