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“I’ll return to the mansion You stay away Stay at

your apartment”

“Fuck that—”

“Koa, LISTEN to ht “I can do this If I have no choice, I’ll go with hiure out a way to live”

“No” His voice is full of rage, and a fresh flood of tears burns my eyes The force of his love hits my chest, and it doesn’t matter if it’s fast or we’ve never said it

I reach up for his face and pressood The first night I saw hih mylike a shadow in the forest, enoreous

“You tookthe memory with me

Turning htly, I kiss his cheek “I can’t live if you’re not here,” I whisper “Our ive ive up”

“Mercy” He growls, holding er is all over his face, but not at listen, and theI lost I didn’t knohy I was drawn to this place, but I’ I can’t live without you, Mercy You’re my life”

Ehtens , and I can only answer theether, I want it to be a night we’ll always remember”

His expression is still tense, but he nods, pullingus in the direction of his apartment

Koa

Candles fill ht My s are closed for the first ti moon I don’t want a reminder of how little time we have left

Sitting alone on my bed, I wait for Mercy to finish in the tiny bathroom off to the side When we arrived, I expected to take her at once, spend the next eight hourslove to her I didn’t expect her to put a hand up and tell me to wait Wait for what?

I’ away I never told her I love her I worried it would be too soon Now I feel like a jackass I’ her forever, and I’ve never told her how much I feel for her How much I don’t deserve her