His heart sank as water started collecting in her eyes. Hurting her was the last thing he wanted. The possibility of it alone had been what kept him on the fence about saying anything. Now he clearly had and Diego nearly wished he'd kept his big mouth shut until she opened her eyes and spoke.

The tears weren't from something he did to her, it was empathy over how he viewed himself. A burden. Disappointment. Not enough. She'd told him that she loved him and he never doubted she meant it but he really didn't believe he could be loved. Tears rolled down his cheeks, dampening her hands on his face.

"I love you." His voice sounded hoarse with emotion, cracking slightly. "I belong wherever you are. Okay?" It was the best he could string together in agreement. No one had ever made any declaration the way Jessica had. How many times had he felt someone else was the world to him, only to never have it reciprocated? Enough times that he lived a life in the shadows.

Jessica brought him out of the darkness and into a world he only dreamed about. Talking in an emotional state was something Diego had never been able to do. He would make an effort to talk when emotions weren't so raw. She deserved that much. In the moment, he dipped his head to capture her lips and pour everything into a kiss if she allowed him.