ULTRAVIOLET [✔]

[32] The I love you [M]

LISA POV

The words were out there and I could do nothing more than to stare at the girl who held my heart and hope she wouldn't break it. I hadn't planned on saying it but she almost forced me. Keeping my hand on her face, I felt her emotions but in this moment I could only concentrate on mine. If only she could feel how nervous I was. Exposed, like I had never felt before.

Jennie sat up slowly and I followed her but made sure we stayed close still. 

Instead of answering me, her eyes became somewhat insecure. "You... you do?"

I just nodded, trying not to loose her eye contact. 

"Why?" She breathed the word out in a shaky whisper and her eyebrows scrunched together hard. If I wasn't a mind fairy, I wouldn't have understood what was going on this very moment. But I felt her fear of these feelings come bubbling up to the surface and her own insecurities that she hid so well eat away at her.

"Why?" I asked back quietly, reaching for her waist with my fingers. "Are you seriously asking me that?" I wasn't completely shattered that she hadn't said it back to me. I had known before that she wouldn't. It stung, yes. It stung bad but I'd been prepared for it. I was just relieved that she hadn't freaked out so far.

Pulling on her shirt and grazing the smooth skin underneath it, I got her to move back into my lap willingly. Maybe she didn't actually realize she was doing it until she was settled tightly against me and had to look down into my face for eye contact. My arms caged her in gently and I pressed a kiss to the skin on her exposed neck. She stayed quiet but she circled her arms around my neck.

"When I met you, you were this tough, powerful and mysterious witch that instantly intrigued me." 

I raised my chin up to place a kiss to her jaw. She angled her head down a little to meet me. It was sweet and reassuring. Maybe a way of apologizing for not saying those three words back.

"And I'm not gonna lie, I found you hot and I wanted you in my bed."

Jennie snorted out an amused little laugh and sunk her fingers into the hair on my nape. "You weren't very subtle..."

That made me laugh too a little.

"But then the soulmate thing hit me and you know how that went..." I trailed off but pulled her in even tighter. She nodded silently and laid her head down against mine. 

"And then... I got to know you... through all the ups and downs... I saw how fiercely loyal and protective you are. You could have left us all to die and make your way out of this forest on your own but you didn't. You stayed and you fought. You are caring even if you don't like to admit it. And you can be very sweet if you let yourself be sweet. I know that there is no way we could have escaped the wishes of the universe but there are so many other reasons why I fell in love with you. It's not just the fact that my soul burns for yours."

Jennie huffed, taking her head off of mine. "Cheesy." And the corners of her lips twitched upwards.

"Baby, you are such a strong woman. You can definitely hold up your own, but... from the moment you triggered my powers, I felt how lonely you really were. And I'm not gonna let you be lonely ever again."

I felt my little witch's surprise at my words. I had never told her to what extent I was able to feel her emotions. Even the very very hidden ones. Even right now in this very moment I felt that she was in fact returning my love but it wasn't at the surface of her conscious mind yet. It would take more time for her to open up the gates that she kept her love behind.

She swallowed hard and I felt her hammering heart against my body. She leaned out a bit to look at me but as soon as our eyes met, she took a deep breath in and looked away again. Her eyes flew up into the sky and she was blinking hard. She was trying so hard not to cry that she looked angry all of a sudden, mouth pressed together and her eyebrows knit together tightly.