Quote image editor
“She is better off without me. Such is for the lady to decide, I would think. Details of the woman herself began to penetrate his thoughts. The generosity in her smile. Her gentle, open gaze. The way she had told him her secrets with trust and honesty, her compassion, and her quiet, understated courage. And before he so effectively and willfully crushed it, he recalled the glimmer of hope she had inspired in him. The hope he had stripped away before it could settle too deeply in his being. So many times, he had sensed in her a desire to push their intimacy further. He had seen the yearning in her eyes and ignored it. He had witnessed the countless times she reached for him and then held back. He had been grateful for her restraint. He had been a coward. He understood that she had known better all along. She had understood what was missing between them. Rather than having the courage to explore those feelings- instead of trusting in her and her love- he had forced her away. The truth was so clear. From the very beginning, she had belonged to him, but not as a mistress belonged to her protector. Lily was his as his soul was his. Just as he was hers. She was a part of him. He was a part of her. He could not exist without her. And if he loved her, he had to trust that she had spoken the truth when she had said she wanted him, flaws and all. He did. He did trust her.” — Amy Sandas