There, before him, immortalised in word, was his love for her.
“I just need you to listen to what I have to say.”
With a deep breath, he began to recite what it said. Words that summed up everything he’s felt these past few months, and even further back than that.
It was everything he’s felt since the moment he met her.
He lingered, on those last few words, his eyes glued to the page. As he swallowed, he could feel that his throat had become parched.
It didn’t matter.
Lowering the letter, Seth lifted his gaze to Nina.
She was crying. The sight of it broke him.
Her cheeks shone with the stain of her tears, and with a sniffle, she wiped at it with her sleeve.
“Nina, I’m -” he began, but as always, Seth’s mind was empty of words. What more could he say?
He didn’t step forward, pull her into his arms like he wanted. And god, he wanted to more than anything. To press his lips against hers, to embrace her energy and drink all of her in.
Instead, he wanted her to make that decision herself. After all, he was at her mercy. He’d laid his cards bare, stripped himself of everything.
Seconds stretched on, and for a moment, he was afraid that she would walk away. If she didn’t want to be with him, he’d nod and accept it, even if every part of him protested. He would move on, but pocket his love for her as a quiet constant, and a reminder of the better parts of himself.
But she continued to wipe at her tears, and pressed her sleeve right against her left eye.
“Damn you, Seth Moore, damnyou,” she whispered.
Then, lowering her arm, Nina locked her gaze with those beautiful eyes of hers.
“You’vealwaysbeen tucked away in my heart, Seth Roman Moore. Even in the years when I wanted to hate you. Even in the years where I thought I’d forgotten you. I always dreamt of your face. Always thought ofwhat ifs.And the day I first saw you again at the train station, I wanted to die, because it felt like I’d breathed new air into my lungs. It’s pathetic, really. I’ve always been yours, even when I didn’t want to be.”
That’s when Seth felt his own tears escape. And once they did, they didn’t stop.
A small sob - or was it a laugh - broke through Nina.
Her lips widened, this gorgeous smile that enveloped her face.
“I wanted to tell you, that I’ll never want to stop taking the risk with you. Break my heart again. Heal it. Mend it. You’ve always had my chances, Seth. There was never going to be another answer.”
She moved forward, closer, until she was just a breath away. Her arms reached upward, toward him.
He felt her fingers curl around his neck, and he bent forward, until his eyes were levelled with hers.
Nina didn’t kiss him. Instead, she leant her forward against his, and closed her eyes. She breathed in, deeply.
He glimpsed at her through his eyelashes, soaking in her presence. Then, he closed his eyes too.
Even though he couldn’t see her, her energy hugged him.
They weren’t kissing, but he felt closer to her than ever, their breaths mingling together in a soft dance.
Everything in his body buzzed on high volume, as though he’d drunk a shot of espresso. Or multiple. Yet, at the same time, he felt at peace more than he ever had.
Nina was his safe place. His breaking dawn. Both the quiet and the raging storm.
“I love you,” he whispered, “You heal me, Nina.”
