“Layken Cooper, I love you. I’ve loved you since the second I laid eyes on you and I haven’t stopped loving you for a second since.”
“I stand up and walk forward, grabbing the arm of the desk chair. I sit back down on the bed and pull her to me until she’s flush against my legs. I place my hands on her cheeks and force her to look at me. “Layken Cooper, I love you. I’ve loved you since the second I laid eyes on you and I haven’t stopped loving you for a second since.”
“I’ve loved you since we had that first long walk together, and I’ve never stopped loving you. I don’t plan to ever stop loving you if you’ll let me.”
“I’ve lived every beat loving you, since I first met you.”
“I never stopped loving you. Not for one second.”
“Listen to me, Ember. I couldn’t hurt you. I can’t.” Hayden settled his eyes on me. They were softer than I’d ever seen. “I love you— I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you.”