impending demise, we were suddenly declaring ourselves. He waited, and even though my eyes looked down to study our hands between us, I knew his golden eyes were on me alone.
"You already know how I feel, of course," one of us said. "I'm here... which, roughly translated, means I would rather die than stay away from you."
"I'm an idiot." We said at the same time.
"You are an idiot," he agreed with a laugh. Our eyes met, and I laughed too. We laughed together at the sheer idiocy and impossibility of such a moment. He was the best man I ever loved.
"And so the lion fell in love with the lamb..." he narrated. I looked away, hiding my eyes as I thrilled to the word.
"What a stupid lamb," I sighed.
"What a sick, masochistic lion." He stared into the shadowy forest for a long dark moment.
"Why... ?" I began, and then paused, not sure how to continue.
He looked at me and smiled; sunlight glinted off his face, his teeth.
"Yes?"
"Tell me why you ran from me before."
His smiled faded into the background. "You know why."
"No, I mean exactly what did I do wrong? I'll have to be on my guard, you see, so I better start learning what I shouldn't do. This, for example"—I stroked the back of his hand with the fingers of my own hand—"seems to be all right." I paused.
"What did I do wrong?" I repeated more loudly when he didn't respond.
He smiled agitatedly. "Please stop asking me what you did wrong, Bella. It makes you seem really insecure."

275

Chapter 13

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