Page 138 of Pretty Little Scars

“Yeah. I’m not hurt. He punched me, but that was the worst of it.”

He growls, but I push my fingers through his hair.

“This time, he’d better go to jail.”

“I think that’s a given. I have a shit ton of video evidence this time. We’ll probably have to talk to Easton again at some point.”

“That’s okay. I don’t mind.”

“You’re very calm, considering all that just happened.”

I blink, thinking it over. “You’re right, I am. I guess I don’t feel afraid anymore. He’s gone, and I’m in your arms.”

“I don’t want you to be afraid in your own home, baby.”

“Maybe we should install a gate.” I pull my lip through my teeth, and Tucker considers my words. “I mean, I don’t think that’s going to happen often, but you’re right. If I’m alone, no one can hear me if I need help, no matter what that help looks like. But if it’s an intruder, well, we might as well make it a little harder for them to get here.”

“Not a bad idea. I’ll see to it.”

He brushes my hair back and sighs.

“What do you need now, Duchess?”

I press my lips together, and then smile. “I want to sit by the fire. But first, I want to go get ice cream, and then come back and eat it by the fire.”

“That’s all?”

“Yeah. It sounds really great to me.”

“It’s not even dark or anything.”

“I don’t care.” I nuzzle into him. “It’s all I want. That and you.”

“Done.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

TUCKER

Three Months Later

Ithought I’d be way more nervous than I am, but it turns out I’m not nervous at all.

Not even a little bit.

Because I know, down in the marrow of my bones, that this is the right thing. It’s actually the only thing for me because the thought of anything else ... well, anything else isn’t an option.

“This is nice,” Darby says as she spoons up a bite of her espresso ice cream and stares into the fire. She’s taking her time eating her two scoops, and I devoured mine as fast as I could. “Best celebration ever.”

My girlthinkswe’re celebrating the fact that Peter was convicted of another case of assault and will be going to jail for a nice long time.

And I guess we are, a little bit.

But this is so much more than that.

“Did you know that I hated the food at Kay’s Diner?” I ask her, and she lowers her spoon and frowns at me.

“No, you didn’t.”