“I won’t let you tell me you love me,” he says, pressing his forehead to mine. His heart slams against my palm. “But let me say it once to you. I love you. I have ever since you were nothing but a dream. And I continued to love you when you were revealed to be my enemy. I loved you when you annoyed me. I loved you because you annoyed me. Briony, I love you with every inch of my soul, and I want you to keep that somewhere deep inside. I want your heart to remember that you were loved. That you deserve love still. But everything else, I want you to forget.”
