"Isabella." He pronounced my full name carefully, then playfully ruffled my hair with his free hand. A shock ran through my body at his casual touch. "Bella, I couldn't live with myself if I ever hurt you. You don't know how it's tortured me." He looked down, ashamed again. "The thought of you, still, white, cold
to never see you blush scarlet again, to never see that flash of intuition in your eyes when you see through my pretenses
it would be unendurable." He lifted his glorious, agonized eyes to mine. "You are the most important thing to me now. The most important thing to me ever."
![Day Dreaming 8-]](./images/smilies/Daydreaming.gif)