It had nothing to do with me! You've spent six hundred years trying to get in my pants!"
"Petticoats, pantaloons, trust me, pants didn't come into fashion until much, much later." But when I don't laugh, he pulls me to him and says, "Ever, it has everything to do with you. And if you don't mind my saying, it's been my experience that the best way to deal with eternity is by living it one day at a time."
He kisses me, but only briefly, before he shifts his body and starts to pull away, but I grab hold of his hand, and pull him back to me. "Don't go," I say, gazing at him. "Please don't ever leave me again."
"Not even to get you some water?" He smiles.
"Not even for water," I tell him, my hands exploring his face, his incredibly beautiful face. "I—" The words halt in my throat.
"Yes?" He smiles.
"I missed you," I finally manage.
"And so you did." He leans in, pressing his lips to my forehead, then quickly pulling away.
"What?" I say, seeing the way he's looking at me, his grin spread wide and warming his face. Then I slide my fingers under my bangs, and gasp when I realize my scar's disappeared.
"Forgiveness is healing." He smiles. "Especially forgiving yourself."
I gaze at him, looking right into his eyes, knowing there's something more to say, but not sure I can go through with it. So I close my eyes instead, thinking that if he can read my mind then I shouldn't have to say the words out loud.
But he just laughs. "It's always better when it's spoken."
"But I've already said it, that's why you came back, right? I thought you would've come sooner. I mean it would've been nice to have had some help."
"I heard you. And I would've come even sooner, but I needed to know you were truly ready, and not just lonely after saying good bye to Riley."
"You know about that?"
He nods. "You did the right thing."
"So, you almost let me die in there, because you wanted to be sure?"
He shakes his head. "I never would've let you die. Not this time."
"And Drina?"
"I underestimated her, I had no idea."
"You can't read each other's thoughts?"
He gazes at me, smoothing his thumb against my cheek.
"We learned how to cloak them from each other long ago."
"Will you show me how to cloak mine?"
He smiles. "In time I'll teach you everything, I promise. But Ever, you need to know what all of this really means. You'll never be with your family again. You'll never cross that bridge. You need to know what you're getting yourself into." He holds my chin and looks in my eyes.
"But I can always, sort of, just—drop out—right? You know, give up? Like you said?"
He shakes his head. "It becomes much harder once you're ingrained."
I look at him, knowing it's a lot to give up, but figuring there's got to be some way around it. Riley promised me a sign, and I'll take it from there. But in the meantime, if eternity starts today, then that's the way I'm going to live it. For this day, and this day only. Knowing that Damen will always be by my side, I mean, always, right?
He looks at me, waiting. "I love you," I whisper.
"And I love you." He smiles, his lips seeking mine. "Always have. Always will."