--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I’ve always loved you,” he said, his eyes…" description: "\"“I’ve always loved you,” he said, his eyes a blue that was almost violet. “You know this.” She swallowed a lump in her throat. “I only wonder whether I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70f/sherry-thomas-2738_fall-in-love_i-ve-always-loved-you-he-said-his-eyes-a_2741314.jpg" --- # I’ve always loved you,” he said, his eyes a blue that was… ![“I’ve always loved you,” he said, his eyes a blue that was almost violet. “You know this.” She swallowed a lump in her throat. “I only wonder whether I deserve such devotion.” “Sometimes people fall in love with those who do not return the same strength of feelings. It is as it is,” he said with a…” quote by Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70f/sherry-thomas-2738_fall-in-love_i-ve-always-loved-you-he-said-his-eyes-a_2741314.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70f/sherry-thomas-2738_fall-in-love_i-ve-always-loved-you-he-said-his-eyes-a_2741314.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70f/sherry-thomas-2738_fall-in-love_i-ve-always-loved-you-he-said-his-eyes-a_2741314.jpg) > ““I’ve always loved you,” he said, his eyes a blue that was almost violet. “You know this.” She swallowed a lump in her throat. “I only wonder whether I deserve such devotion.” “Sometimes people fall in love with those who do not return the same strength of feelings. It is as it is,” he said with a quiet intensity. “What I give, I give freely. You owe me nothing, not love, not friendship, not even obligation.”” [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A lover offers unconditional devotion while the other doubts their worthiness, highlighting imbalance in emotional exchange. **In simple terms:** One loves fully, the other feels unworthy. Key Takeaway Accept love without demanding repayment. Themes love selfdoubt vulnerability Mood hopeful reflective Type romantic dialogue When to use this quote - romantic relationship - confession - self‑esteem crisis Key Concepts emotional reciprocity selfworth unconditional giving Questions to Reflect On - Do you feel worthy of love? - How does unconditional giving affect self‑esteem? A Different Perspective Love may be given freely but can create pressure to reciprocate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fall in love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall-in-love/) [Fall Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall-love/) [Feelings Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings-said-660676/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Loved Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loved-said/) [Owe Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owe-love-663448/) [Sherry-thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sherry-thomas/) [Tempting-the-bride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tempting-the-bride/) [Unrequited love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unrequited-love/) ## Related quotes > [“Sometimes people fall in love with those who do not return the same strength of feelings. It is as it is,” he said with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/sometimes-people-fall-in-love-with-those-who-do-not-return-the-same/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“She fluttered her fan. “And do you know what they say of women of a certain age, what they want above all?” Desire simmered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/she-fluttered-her-fan-and-do-you-know-what-they-say-of-women-of-a/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“The worst thing about falling in love with her so early in life was that he’d been an absolute snot at fourteen, at once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/the-worst-thing-about-falling-in-love-with-her-so-early-in-life-was/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“And when the governess had left, he would slip out of his own room and peer at her door until her light was extinguished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/and-when-the-governess-had-left-he-would-slip-out-of-his-own-room-and/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“His voice, however, was utterly velvety—if an upholstered wrecking ball could be called velvety. “I won’t need to try, my dear. My touch will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/his-voice-however-was-utterly-velvety-if-an-upholstered-wrecking-ball/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“This time he could no longer hold back his tears. And with them came words that he’d never been able to say to her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/this-time-he-could-no-longer-hold-back-his-tears-and-with-them-came/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“Her hand reached up and took a strand of his hair between her fingers. “Simple as that.” She gently pulled on that curl and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/her-hand-reached-up-and-took-a-strand-of-his-hair-between-her-fingers/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“What did you do to your hair? I don’t like it as much.” His brow knitted. “How do you like it?” “I prefer the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/what-did-you-do-to-your-hair-i-don-t-like-it-as-much-his-brow-knitted/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“He felt like a pilgrim standing on the shores of Lake Sahara, having walked barefoot over hundreds of miles, yet all the hardships forgotten,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/he-felt-like-a-pilgrim-standing-on-the-shores-of-lake-sahara-having/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [I beg you to exercise wisdom and restraint and remember that not all opportunities are created equal. Some are nothing but steps leading down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/i-beg-you-to-exercise-wisdom-and-restraint-and-remember-that-not-all/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“Perhaps you forgave him too much, but who among us would not wish to be so generously loved and generously forgiven?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/perhaps-you-forgave-him-too-much-but-who-among-us-would-not-wish-to/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“He climbed into bed himself and kissed his way up her legs. Instincts she didn’t even know she possessed made her clench her thighs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/he-climbed-into-bed-himself-and-kissed-his-way-up-her-legs-instincts/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“It was a few minutes before Helena could stop panting. She dared not read any further, or she’d crash through the connecting door and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/it-was-a-few-minutes-before-helena-could-stop-panting-she-dared-not/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“...So far I have restrained myself. For how much longer, I do not know. I have never known such happiness, shot through with such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/so-far-i-have-restrained-myself-for-how-much-longer-i-do-not-know-i/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“Outwardly, other than her hair, she had not changed much. She was still more or less the same cool, aloof woman who garnered more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/outwardly-other-than-her-hair-she-had-not-changed-much-she-was-still/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) ## More by Sherry Thomas > [“Sometimes people change, said a voice inside him. And sometimes they don’t.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/sometimes-people-change-said-a-voice-inside-him-and-sometimes-they/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“I always think I cannot love you more if I tried, but I always do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/i-always-think-i-cannot-love-you-more-if-i-tried-but-i-always-do/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“For the thousandth time he wished he’d just met her. That they were but two strangers traveling together, that such lovely, filthy thoughts did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/for-the-thousandth-time-he-wished-he-d-just-met-her-that-they-were/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“This is the story of a girl who fooled a thousand boys, a boy who fooled an entire country, a partnership that would change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/this-is-the-story-of-a-girl-who-fooled-a-thousand-boys-a-boy-who/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“Outwardly, other than her hair, she had not changed much. She was still more or less the same cool, aloof woman who garnered more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/outwardly-other-than-her-hair-she-had-not-changed-much-she-was-still/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“The buttons on her back gave way as if before a Mongol horde.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/the-buttons-on-her-back-gave-way-as-if-before-a-mongol-horde/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“Humans, herself included, held no interest for her except as living machines, mind-bogglingly intricate, beautiful systems that somehow housed individuals not quite worthy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/humans-herself-included-held-no-interest-for-her-except-as-living/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“...So far I have restrained myself. For how much longer, I do not know. I have never known such happiness, shot through with such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/so-far-i-have-restrained-myself-for-how-much-longer-i-do-not-know-i/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“You are asking me to give up everything for a cause that isn't mine. I don't want to be part of any revolution. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/you-are-asking-me-to-give-up-everything-for-a-cause-that-isn-t-mine-i/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“Friendship is untenable for people in our position.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/friendship-is-untenable-for-people-in-our-position/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“Just before the start of Summer Half, in April 1883, a very minor event took place at Eton College, that venerable and illustrious English…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/just-before-the-start-of-summer-half-in-april-1883-a-very-minor-event/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“A reflection of their story: imperfect, but to him the most beautiful of stories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/a-reflection-of-their-story-imperfect-but-to-him-the-most-beautiful/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“For the next three seconds, he still dared to let himself hope. Perhaps she was making a grand entrance. Perhaps she would be carried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/for-the-next-three-seconds-he-still-dared-to-let-himself-hope-perhaps/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“He smiled at her. And it hit her like a mallet to the temple, the realization that she was in love with him. Stupidly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/he-smiled-at-her-and-it-hit-her-like-a-mallet-to-the-temple-the/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“We will never accomplish anything worthwhile in life if we require the guarantee of success at the onset.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/we-will-never-accomplish-anything-worthwhile-in-life-if-we-require/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) [Explore all 150 Sherry Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) ## More Fall in love quotes > [“I already love in you your beauty, but I am only beginning to love in you that which is eternal and ever precious –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-already-love-in-you-your-beauty-but-i-am-only-beginning-to-love-in/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“There's no need for a reason for people to fall in love. Even if people say there is a reason, that's just something they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuna-takagi/there-s-no-need-for-a-reason-for-people-to-fall-in-love-even-if/) [Yuna Takagi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuna-takagi/) > [“Will you destroy something in order to make it beautiful? Will you avoid something in order to fall in love with it? Will you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-hassan-barbhuiya/will-you-destroy-something-in-order-to-make-it-beautiful-will-you/) [Hanif Hassan Barbhuiya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-hassan-barbhuiya/) > [“They say your muscles have memory. Once you've trained your arms to swing a tennis racket or your legs to ride a bike, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-brande/they-say-your-muscles-have-memory-once-you-ve-trained-your-arms-to/) [Robin Brande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-brande/) > [“100 % people fall in love but just few understand what is love exactly”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/100-people-fall-in-love-but-just-few-understand-what-is-love-exactly/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [“Nothing, again, could be more prosaic and impenetrable than the domestic energies of Miss Diana Duke. But Innocent had somehow blundered on the discovery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/nothing-again-could-be-more-prosaic-and-impenetrable-than-the/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Be sure to fall in love with someone who loves you more than you love them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-snow/be-sure-to-fall-in-love-with-someone-who-loves-you-more-than-you-love/) [Tiffany Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-snow/) > [When you fall in love for the first time, you're naive to every feeling that you're feeling, and you're almost obsessed with or addicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-pettyfer/when-you-fall-in-love-for-the-first-time-you-re-naive-to-every/) [Alex Pettyfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-pettyfer/) > [“I lost my chance with you then, and maybe I deserved to, for being too scared to speak up and tell you how I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-harlow/i-lost-my-chance-with-you-then-and-maybe-i-deserved-to-for-being-too/) [Melanie Harlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-harlow/) > [ONE stone enough to break a glass,,, ONE sentence is enough to break a heart,,, FIRST sight is enough to fall in love,,, ONE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-stone-enough-to-break-a-glass-one-sentence-is-enough-to-break-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I give my heart completely to the experience and I really connect with people and make friends. I fall in love and then it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-tyler/i-give-my-heart-completely-to-the-experience-and-i-really-connect/) [Liv Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-tyler/) > [“Falling in love is easy. Fools fall in love all the time. Staying in love is the test of time and the gift you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-murphy/falling-in-love-is-easy-fools-fall-in-love-all-the-time-staying-in/) [James A. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-murphy/) > [“What a situation!' cried Miss Squeers; '...What is the reason that men fall in love with me, whether I like it or not, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/what-a-situation-cried-miss-squeers-what-is-the-reason-that-men-fall/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [My life always came first. When I got nominated for Diary of a Mad Housewife, I didn't think, 'Aah, now I'll get more money.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-snodgress/my-life-always-came-first-when-i-got-nominated-for-diary-of-a-mad/) [Carrie Snodgress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-snodgress/) > [It hurts to fall in love with a friend. You keep on hiding your feelings, avoiding it as much as you can until you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-hurts-to-fall-in-love-with-a-friend-you-keep-on-hiding-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 4,044 Fall in love quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall-in-love/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I’ve always loved you,” he said, his eyes a blue that was almost violet. “You know this.” She swallowed a lump in her throat. “I only wonder whether I deserve such devotion.” “Sometimes people fall in love with those who do not return the same strength of feelings. It is as it is,” he said with a quiet intensity. “What I give, I give freely. You owe me nothing, not love, not friendship, not even obligation.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sherry Thomas" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/i-ve-always-loved-you-he-said-his-eyes-a-blue-that-was-almost-violet/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fall in love" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/i-ve-always-loved-you-he-said-his-eyes-a-blue-that-was-almost-violet/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70f/sherry-thomas-2738_fall-in-love_i-ve-always-loved-you-he-said-his-eyes-a_2741314.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70f/sherry-thomas-2738_fall-in-love_i-ve-always-loved-you-he-said-his-eyes-a_2741314.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70f/sherry-thomas-2738_fall-in-love_i-ve-always-loved-you-he-said-his-eyes-a_2741314.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I’ve always loved you,” he said, his eyes a blue that was almost violet. “You know this.” She swallowed a…” — Sherry Thomas", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sherry Thomas", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I’ve always loved you,” he said,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/i-ve-always-loved-you-he-said-his-eyes-a-blue-that-was-almost-violet/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/i-ve-always-loved-you-he-said-his-eyes-a-blue-that-was-almost-violet/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```