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He closed his eyes and let out a breathy laugh My heart soared

"You want to be h That bleedin’ word"

I threw my arms around him I couldn’t hold back the s It was a stupid label, but there was power in those possessive words: boyfriend and girlfriend

"So," he said

"So," I repeated, still grinning

"Let it be clear Thisother people," he toldwith them," I added

We both tensed His jaorked, and he nodded "Or that, yes"

"Unless" I distanced h to see his face "When we have to work, Kaidan--"

"I’ anymore" His voice was resolute, which terrified me He wasn’t in a position to defy his father or cause the whisperers to suspect hiet aith it

"I wouldn’t consider it cheating," I said gently He opened his mouth to protest and I hurried on "I know you don’t want to work, and neither do I I’ you’ve been, but if there’s ever a time when it’s necessary, I would understand"

He looked away

"You act as if the idea ofhurt in his tone stabbed athim to understand I sed down a luht of it I want to, like, stab so when I think about that other Anna" His eyebroent up in alar is better than the alternative If it comes down to life or death, I need you to choose life I know you wouldn’t do anything if you didn’t have to I trust you"

"You trust ers into the hair at my temple, an expression of fearful aift he’d never expected to receive and one he’d live in fear of losing

"I don’t deserve you" His forearm flexed and his hand leftwith his hands on his chest "I’ve never deserved you"

My insides clenched "Kaiit’s not about deserving You don’t have to try to prove yourself I knohere your heart is"

"Of course you can easily say that because you don’t know all I’ve done or all I still want to do My urges--"

I pressed a finger to his lips "I wouldn’t love you any less Right now it’s aboutAnd, to be honest, I’e I’ve created--like I don’t care about anything but partying--but it’s kept me alive, and I’ve tried toa lie"