Defy Me (Shatter Me, #5)

by Tahereh Mafi

And she smiles. Smiles at me and my heart shatters. “Trust me,” she says. “I’d remember you.”

You don’t know that Aaron has been in love with Ella for the better part of his entire life. They’ve known each other since childhood.”

The reason he had to keep wiping their memories was because it didn’t matter how many times he reset the story or remade the introductions— Aaron always fell in love with her. Every time.

But they were always drawn together. It was obvious, every time he put them in the same room, they were like”—Delalieu claps his hands—“magnets.”

“He thinks you’re part of the reason Aaron is so weak. Honestly, sometimes I wonder if he’s right.”

“Try something like this again,” he said, “and I’ll kill her. And I’ll make sure you get to watch.”

Aaron Warner Anderson is the only emotional through line in my life that ever made sense. He’s the only constant. The only steady, reliable heartbeat I’ve ever had.

“I’m serious,” she says. “I heard my mum talking about how to make it so people can live underwater, and I’m going to ask her to tell me, and then we can live in the lake.”

And I realize then, in a moment that terrifies me, that I want this, forever. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I want to build a future with her. I want to grow old with her. I want to marry her.

Like he’s always been here. Always lived in my heart.

I part her legs with my thigh

“Yes. Yes to everything with you. Yes to forever with you. Yes.”

“That you could love me at all seems like some kind of miracle.”

“I love you, Ella,” I whisper. “I will love you for the rest of my life. My heart is yours. Please don’t ever give it back to me.”