Page 252 of Obsession

For a few seconds, hours or perhaps centuries.

It did not matter. All that mattered was his voice so close to my lips, uttering the most powerful words in the world.

“I don’t need more than one look at you to know it. I have been waiting for you, waiting for the day my heart would really start beating again, and that day came when I saw you for the first time.”

His fingers slowly brushed through my wet hair, and I lifted my head to look at him, but I couldn’t see anything, and it was driving me crazy. I blinked my water-coated eyelashes, then felt him lean down and instinctively closed my eyes.

His whisper slipped through my lips.

“I love you, Katherine!”

I didn’t need to see him. God, not at all, because I felt him. I felt him with every cell in my body, with every drop of blood and every beat of my heart.

Something told me he’d been waiting for this moment, waiting for the deep darkness to tell me this, because it was just so…. Harris to confess his love to me in this way.

Those words poured over me and into me, filling me to the brim with strength and unimaginable happiness.

His lips pressed against mine and my soul exploded as I clung to his neck and we both stood up so we could hug each other tighter.

The kiss was gentle, but so strong and full of promises that I hadn’t dared to dream of a few hours before.

“Y-you… love me,” I whispered as our lips parted.

It wasn’t a question, and I had said it more for myself.

“Yes,” I felt his smile on my lips.

“Why?” I stuttered in confusion and asked the most ridiculous question you could ask at a time like this.

My reaction was over the top, but I never expected to hear those words from Harris, especially not so soon.

“Why are you breathing?”

His question caught me off guard, and I frowned. I hadn’t asked that. What kind of analogy was he getting at? I was a little too overwhelmed to think logically.

“To live,” I said the first thing that came to mind, and he smiled as his lips hovered over my cheek.

“That’s exactly why I fell in love with you, to live again.”

I swallowed before he kissed me again. Gently and slowly, his lips barely touching mine.

I was done for. I felt done, not knowing if the darkness had fully settled or if I had gone blind with shock and happiness.

For the moment, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was the universe that had opened up at my feet.

CHAPTER 25

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ONE FOOT IN HEAVEN

THE OTHER IN HELL

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He held my hand as we made our way out of the cemetery, and Harris lit the path with the flashlight on his phone. The rain was still falling, while the muffled sound of thunder could be heard in the distance. It wasn’t a storm, but I was soaked to the skin and the water splashed in my shoes with every step as I actively struggled not to chatter my teeth from the cold, but it was difficult.

What was strange was the way I felt… inside... I wasn’t aware that we were in a cemetery, and at night. My soul was too intoxicated by the words Harris’ lips had spoken. I could have taken a walk through hell and still felt just as happy.

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