"Wait," Damien said, his voice low and intense, cutting through the stillness. He pushed up on one elbow, turning to look down at her, his eyes dark with a mixture of confusion and concern. "Say that again."
Anne blinked, caught off guard by the urgency in his tone.
"I said, 'I love you,'" she repeated, smiling up at him. "What's gotten into you?"
But Damien didn't smile back. His brow furrowed, and his eyes searched hers as if trying to decipher something hidden just beneath the surface. He leant in closer, his gaze locked on her, as if waiting for her to slip up—to reveal something she hadn't meant to.
"Anne," he said, his voice softer now but no less serious. "That's not what I meant. Before that... when you said you'd never betray me."
