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I wished to say that I am not sure I can live without you

I wished to say that I will always be yours

I wished to say

"Sophie" Her name was more than a prompt and less than a question

She looked up at hireen eyes utterly focused on her "I wished to say that I love you"

For a moment, the universe stilled He did not speak He did not move He did not look away fro Indeed, the only evidence that she’d spoken at all was the heat that flooded her cheeks in the aftermath of her confession

When she could not bear the silence ato to find ht be ours" She paused "I know I said I couldn’t bear to be with you any longer" She looked down at that hand again "But I changed ht Just this once I should like you to ruin me Because you’ve ruined me anyway, really For all others You once asked me how all this ended And I don’t know, honestly I don’t know that happily is viable anyhtwith you" She trailed off, then whispered, "I could be happy tonight"

He reravel, pulled froain"

She shuffled her feet, feeling like a child on display, suddenly uncertain of her words

"Please, Sophie," he begged "Again"

As though she could resist him "I love you," she whispered

And then that fist released, and hehis hand in her hair, pulling her to hi her breath and her sanity until he pulled back and pressed his forehead to hers, his thuain"

"I love you," she said, the words lost in another wild kiss, this one accoht against hi her to wrap her legs around him as he backed away fro

He carried her to his bed, following her down, pressing her into the soft asped at the sensation, the pleasure of him there, where she’d wanted hi as he went "Christ, SophieI shouldn’t want thisI shouldn’t take itI can’t be what you desire"

Except he hat she desired

He was the only thing she’d ever desired in her life

"I shouldn’t accept your love," he said between soft, drugging kisses, his fingers working at the sash of her dressing gown, his lips on the soft skin of her neck "I’ll never be good enough for it" He paused, lifting his head,her eyes "But Christ, I want it"