Page 319 of End Game

“I am not saying it because you said it first.”

The teasing drains out of me.

“I have known I’ve loved you for some time.”

My throat closes. “How long?”

“That is not relevant.”

“It is extremely relevant.”

His mouth twitches, but he keeps going. “I did not want to say it immediately after sex because I did not want you to wonder whether it was an emotional consequence of what just happened.”

That is painfully him.

“And then?”

“Then there was Christmas.”

I wait.

“And New Year's.”

“Ronan.”

“And today is Valentine's Day.”

I stare at him.

His expression becomes faintly annoyed. “I didn’t want a commercially designated date to dictate when I said something that matters this much.”

A laugh breaks out of me. “You are fucking unbelievable.”

“I am aware.”

“So you were just going to keep loving me in secret because capitalism ruined the calendar?”

“I was not keeping it secret.”

“You definitely weren't using the words.”

“I was looking for an appropriate moment.”

I gesture at the giant box on my desk. “And I beat you to it.”

“Yes.”

“Ha.”

“This is not a competition.”

“I won.”

“You did not.”

“I absolutely did.”

He looks annoyed.