No more hiding in metaphors. The poems had done their job.

I stayed frozen on the spot and Damon didn’t move either. My fingers had stopped on the page, but the open book was still in my lap. The quotations had ceased, but their echoes lingered between us like incense, hazy and unavoidable.

His head cocked slightly. "Lisa..."

I looked into his eyes. "Yes?"

He stayed silent but I could tell he wanted to speak. There was something on his mind. “What is it?” I asked.

He sighed, running his hands through his hair, "I'm trying to avoid saying something that I can't take back."

I took in a long hard breath and said, "Okay. Then maybe you should try to say it nicely?”

“I just don’t want you to be overwhelmed. It might be a lot for you to handle at once,” He stated.

“Okay.” I reasoned, “How about speaking really slowly? It’ll be easier to process the information if you speak slowly. I guess” I shuddered,

He let out a little chuckle. "All right." 

Then a long awkward pause stretched between us. 

“I felt like you were seeking me out. Each time you read one of those lines, it drove me crazy. As if you were reading those passages to me.

I hardly separated my lips, he went on, "I’ve tried to keep things light between us.Teasing, flirting, hell God knows I’ve tried, Lisa. Especially considering your condition. But it didn't stop, I couldn’t stop it. I can’t help it. Something has been growing and budding in my insides.”

I forgot how to breathe. At that moment, he gave me a look as if he wanted me to see everything he said before he said. 

"Lisa... I meant what I said that night at the gala. I’m in love with you, Lisa.”

There was a slight tilt to the room. Or perhaps it was just me. Everything was blurry.

With a softer tone, he stated, "I didn't mean for this to happen." "But I can’t help it. And every time I hear you talk, laugh, argue about ivory and white being different colors, I only fall harder, Lisa. I love you."

I blinked. Once. Twice. My throat constricted. "Can you say that again?” I asked. “I need to hear it."

His voice steady, he stepped forward. "I love you, Lisa. I love you absolutely much."

I put the book down gently on the table, closed it, and got up. Now I was just inches away from him.

My words were delicate, almost melting on my lips, and my pulse was loud in my ears. “I was too afraid to say this earlier. Too scared to admit but now? I don’t want to hide my feelings anymore. But as soon as I let this out everything between us is going to change. You’re not just anybody, Damon.” 

“I don’t want to be just anybody, especially when it comes to you.” He said. 

I smiled slightly. “Good. Because you aren’t.”

His hand found mine, our fingers interlaced as if it was the most natural thing in the world for them to be tangled together. 

“Okay,” I whispered.

“Okay,” I repeated to myself againtrying to brace up for my big confession. 

“Relax” He urged. “Take your time.”

“I love you.” I said and meant it.

“I love you to, Princess. I love you a whole bunch. If I have to stand on Mount Everest to scream it out a million times I would without blinking.”

“Oh, no worries. You are free to say it as many times as you want now that the cat is out of the back.” I  said and He did.

“I love you.” 

“Say that again.: I asked.

:I love you.”

“Just once more” I uged, and this time he kissed me before I could finish the sentence.

Then he said it again, “I love you, Princess.”

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I can tell if you're in a panic and you’re just in shock.” Damon said when we woke up the next morning."

I gave my fingers a quick check and then ran my fingers across my face for a quick reality check. “Hey, I’m not panicking.”

"Alright, Princess. Now, you're definitely panicking."

I half-laughed and turned warily. "I'm simply readjusting to the current state of the circumstances surrounding me."

“What does that even mean?” He asked.

I shuddered in response but didn’t utter a singer word or sound. 

Despite his weary eyes and bedhead, he smiled. "Good morning, my darling princesss. We had a long ngiht but I suppose you were able to rest that pretty little head of yours?”

There was no heat in it, but I rolled my eyes. 

He offered me a cup that he had grabbed from the nightstand. "Coffee?"

With gratitude, I took itit. "You brought coffee just for me?" I asked after gulping the cup’s content halfway.

"I believed it would ease some of the mental impact that comes with waking up right next to me."

I grinned into my mug's rim. "This view isn't the worst."

For a moment, we just sipped our coffee in silence. Both of us were subtly conscious of the change in the air between them, but it was just different, not awkward at all. It was perfect. In fact, I felt charged. Charged in a way that caused a slight lurch in my heart.

"So," he began.

"So," I repeated.

"Are we all right?" he inquired, his tone suddenly more solemn. "We can't act like last night didn't happen, can we?"

I put down the mug and gave him a serious look. My voice was quiet as I continued, "I don't want to pretend."

His entire body appeared to calm down. "All right. Because I’m already preparing our obnoxiously public debut as a couple.”

I chuckled. "May God bless us all."

Leaning forward, he planted a kiss on her temple. "I was just joking. We’ll take small steps. One steps at a time. First, let's start with breakfast.

"And then?"

Against my skin, he grinned.

"Anything you desire. But I'm not leaving, just so you know.

He stood up, draping a sheet around his waist as if he were in a fragrance commercial, and I grinned to myself. What a jerk.

But now he was mine. My jerk.

And that was crazy.