Dane had given up everything to be with her, because to him, she was everything. And yet, she remained an enigmatic mystery to him, a gypsy of sorts, an eternal wanderer who didn’t know that everything she had ever desired she already had.
“Always and forever,” he always ended their conversations with this, letting Phaedra know that nothing could shake his love for her.
“But how can you possibly love me?” When she first said this, Dane let it slide, but by this point it had become an issue, for it seemed Phaedra truly wondered how he loved her. In her mind, she was unworthy of love, and even more unworthy of Dane’s love.
“My love, please don’t. When it all began, it may not have been by choice, but I am yours,” he continued, “My heart belongs to you.”
“But…” her voice trailed before softly finishing, “I don’t deserve someone as wonderful as you.”
“What you mean is: you don’t deserve someone as horrible as I…” he tried laughing it off as only he could, but he was plenty annoyed at this point.
“No, you know what I mean.”
“I know what you mean. And you’re foolish to think such things. I can’t tell you enough just how amazing you really are.”
Phaedra had only heard one thing though, “Are you calling me a fool?”
What is it with women and their ability to hear and twist that one off-color word and hear nothing else? He was peeved.
“You know I didn’t.” He said this a little more harshly than he meant to, but he was done with this conversation. And she certainly heard it.
“I’m sorry,” she told him, “I just don’t see…”
Dane cut her off, “Just know that I love you. I’m a bit annoyed but I’m going to get some sleep. Bye.”
He didn’t even say, ‘always and forever,’ like he usually did. And as he rolled over and faced the wall, closing up his phone in the process he received a text, it was from Phaedra.
“Please forgive me,” was all it said.
Before drifting off he shot back a quick text in return, “Forgiven, my love. Talk soon.”
A Shadow's Embrace 