Chapter 158

Claire's POV I stood there frozen, completely at a loss. "What I said at the hospital," he continued, his breath warm against my neck, "about wanting you to stay only with me... I was just being greedy. I wanted to be with you longer." "Lucius—" "No, let me finish." His arms tightened around me. "I'm not here to force you to stay with me. The opposite, actually. I want... I need to make a clean break if that's what you want." I felt something warm and wet on my neck. Was he... crying? "I don't know if we have a future," he said, his voice barely audible. "But I need you to know that whatever brought us together initially, whatever happens from here... I've cared for you, Claire. More than I've allowed myself to admit." My heart hammered against my ribs. "Why are you telling me this now?" "Because I saw how easily I could lose you tonight. And I realized I've never been honest about how I feel." I turned in his arms to face him. His eyes were red-rimmed, vulnerable in a way I'd never se