Page 127 of Danger

“How… did you do this?” she whispers, fingers brushing the charm.

The cat meows like she knows she just delivered the most important message of my life. And I finally let myself smile,quietly, because the woman I’ve spent so long trying not to need… she finally knows.

I lean against the doorway, hands in my pockets, trying to keep it cool. “She did that. You told me once… animals tell us everything we need to know. Figured if she brought it to you… maybe you’d believe it.”

The cat nudges the charm in her hand again, and I watch her clutch it to her chest. My chest aches seeing her like this—smiling through tears.

I walk over and tilt her chin up so she has to see me. “I do love you,” I say, and this time my voice doesn’t waver. “I love you backwards exactly how Granddaddy said I would one day?—”

She kisses me before I can finish. Hard, teeth and tongue and every bit of relief and fight we’ve got left between us. When she pulls away, she’s got tears falling down her face.

“I… I love you backwards, too,” she whispers, clutching the charm. The world settles back into place.

She looks up at me then, and I see it—the part of her that always knew. The part that waited.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

winnie

Danger

You up?

Winnie

No

Danger

You answered

Winnie

Sleep texting

Danger

Come on

I owe you somethin that qualifies as fun

Winnie

Fun can’t happen this early

Danger

Throw on some clothes

Winnie

I am currently in my cupcake pajamas

Danger

Like I said throw on some clothes

Winnie