Excited, I snatched up the box and flipped the lid open. Resting against the velvet padding interior was a tiny silver locket with the date 30.08.99 on the front. “That date…” I blew out a shaky breath. “It’s—” “The first day of first year,” he explained quietly. “The first time I laid eyes on you, and the first time I understood what it meant to have my heart beating for someone outside of my family.” My heart squeezed so tight in my chest it was hard to breathe. “Joe.” “When I say I don’t love you,” he continued, nuzzling his face in my neck, “it’s the furthest thing from the truth.” Love.
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