That longing in his voice stabbed my heart like a knife. I hadn't gone through a retreat myself, and I didn't know what it felt like, but I could tell that whatever he expected tomorrow had been causing him a lot of distress for the past two days. How much of this was from his concern for success, and how much was for leaving me behind?
"Bai Ye," I whispered, "I wish I could do something for you … to help ease your mind a little before you leave. I—"
He lifted a finger over my lips, hushing me. "You're already helping," he said. "It eases my mind to have you here. More than anything else."
I looked up at him. That faint smile was still on the corner of his mouth, and the endless love in his eyes dazed me. We looked at each other just like that for quite a while, until finally, his gaze wavered, slowly traveling down my face. Raising my chin gently, he leaned over, and our lips met.
