[ Don't. It breaks her heart the way he says it. He doesn't believe her. She can read it plainly in his voice, his expression, the way he's holding himself. The actual train of thought going through his mind is beyond her but she's fairly certain none of it is good. ]

Don't what? [ There are tears in her voice but not in her eyes, not yet thank goodness. She can't spare even a second, she has to watch every inch of him to try to understand how to make this better, how to not chase him away. This is the Damon who believed he didn't deserve her and she has to convince him that's not true. ]

Don't tell you the truth? [ She's breaking inside and he's the only one who can fix her, why can't he see that? ] Don't tell you that I love you, that I have loved you for a long time?

[ Longer than she'd ever admit to anyone, even herself. Because she can't be like Katherine, she hates every comparison ever made between them, and it still hurts beyond imagination that he hadn't known when it was Katherine in her, when it was Katherine who broke his heart. But none of that matters right now, all that matters is Damon and trying to get through to him. ]

I can't lie to you about that, Damon.