Is it true? I ask him.Is what true? His eyes are the color of honey. These are the eyes I remember from my dreams.That you still love me, I say, breathless. I need to know.Alex nods. He reaches out and touches my facebarely skimming my cheekbone and brushing away a bit of my hair. Its true.But . . . Ive changed, I say. And youve changed.Thats true too, he says quietly. I look at the scar on his face, stretching from his left eye to his jawline, and something hitches in my chest.So what now? I ask him. The light is too bright; the day feels as though its merging into dream.Do you love me? Alex asks. And I could cry; I could press my face into his chest and breathe in, and pretend that nothing has changed, that everything will be perfect and whole and healed again.But I cant. I know I cant.I never stopped. I look away from him. I look at Grace, and the high grass littered with the wounded and the dead. I think of Julian, and his clear blue eyes, his patience and goodness. I think of all the fighting weve done, and all the fighting we have yet to do. I take a deep breath. But its more complicated than that.Alex reaches out and places his hands on my shoulders. Im not going to run away again, he says.I dont want you to, I tell him.His fingers find my cheek, and I rest for a second against his palm, letting the pain of the past few months flow out of me, letting him turn my head toward his. Then he bends down and kisses me: light and perfect, his lips just barely meeting mine, a kiss that promises renewal.
About This Quote
About Lauren Oliver, Requiem
Lauren Oliver, Requiem.
Themes
- Love — Quotes exploring romantic love, compassion, and human connection