The Reaping of Norah Bentley (41 page)

I had this moment though, and I knew what I wanted to say in it.

“Eli?”

“Yes?”

“There’s something I never told you,” I said. “Not like this, anyway. I don’t know if you heard me before, and I… I mean I…”

“Just say it,” he said, his voice little more than a breath, his lips just inches from mine.

“I—I love you.” It was so much easier than I’d ever imagined. I almost laughed out loud with relief, at the thought of how stupid it was to not say it to him before. His hands left mine and traveled up my arms, to my face, gently pushed my hair back and tucked it behind my ear.

“I know,” he said. “I know.”

Then his smiling lips found mine, and we eliminated all the space in between.