Page 184 of The Monster and the Masochist

I listened to the two of them talk about the fight, pleased with the fact that they seemed to be getting along. After I was sure they weren’t going to suddenly start swinging on each other, I excused myself to make some rounds of my own.

“You’ll be okay for a bit if I go say hi to a few people?” I asked, and Theo nodded, barely paying attention to me in her eagerness to continue talking about whoever this Monroe character was.

“Yeah, baby girl. Do your thing, I’ll be here.” She left a gentle kiss on my knuckles and resumed her conversation with Nolan.

I smiled.

She’d been so nervous about coming here, but she was just so naturally likable.

I genuinely felt fine leaving her for a bit to go and show face with some of the mingling patrons.

Leaving her chatting happily with Nolan felt like the Cassandra I used to be was meeting the Cassandra I wanted to be, and I was thrilled that these two polarizing parts of my life seemed to mesh together so easily.

A little beat of excitement shot through my chest, and I realized with a start that I was feeling better than I had in weeks.

Theo was happy, so I was happy.

I couldn’t wait to whisk her away for a weekend and tell her just how much I loved her. We were already married on paper, but thinking back to our wedding now, I wish I’d written my own vows like she had.

While I couldn’t go back and change the past, I could make up for it now.

I was planning on telling her everything that weekend.

I wanted to tell her about my feelings, but I also wanted to tell her what I’d been plotting with Vox and ask if she would be open to me doing the same to whoever had abused her, too.

It wasn’t like the idea of murdering some scum bag would shake her.

She’d already killed someone herself when she’d risked her life to save my siblings.

The idea of hunting down the man who had hurt her together made me almost giddy with excitement.

I hoped she was open to it, and if she wasn’t, I would do it on my own and bring her the man’s head back in a fucking bag.

‘Finally,’ my monster hummed happily in my chest, and I smiled.

‘Yes. You’ll finally get your pound of flesh.’

‘I knew the street fighter would be good for us,’ it preened, and I almost snorted out loud.

‘You know as well as I do that you wanted to kill her just the same as everyone else you meet.’

‘I never claimed I wanted to kill her. I only said that I wanted to make her scream… and you’ve already done a good enough job of that. I am satisfied.’

‘You’re the worst.’

‘Yes, I am the worst. But I am the worst so you don’t have to be. Go mingle with your guests, Cassandra. I will keep an eye on our street fighter.’

I smiled ruefully as I greeted the next couple that approached me, asking for details about the foundation we’d chosen to donate our proceeds to.

Everything was perfect.

I was so fucking happy, and I couldn’t believe this was now my new norm.

For the first time since my mother locked me up alone in that horrible cage, I was truly looking forward to what the future had in store for me.

With Theo by my side, I felt like maybe every day wouldn’t have to be such a battle, and even if it was, at least now I didn’t have to do it alone.

Cassandra was limping.