“I was worried you’d leave me,” she whispers. “When you realized I’d hidden it from you all this time.” Fuck it. Maybe it’s too soon, maybe I am emotionally underdeveloped, but I don’t care. “I’m not going to leave you, Ophelia. I love you. And I know you’re not ready to say it back, and I understand why. But I love you in ways I’ve never loved anyone before. My mind has been this shitty shade of gray for so long, and now there’s this little thread of auburn copper.” I wrap a lock of hair around my finger. “This little orange strand runs through the gray like a ray of hope. I love every piece
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