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My toes go up at his question and I whisper, “A fairy.”
His wolf eyes glow. “Yeah, my Fae.”
And I know what I have to do.
I know.
Today’s the day.
That I’m going to do what I’ve decided.
It’s not a special day per se. It’s a Monday after Tempest’s visit and everything’s been the same.
The school, the teachers, my supportive gang of girls.
Reed.
He’s been the same too, crazy protective and crazy caring, dropping me off at school, picking me up. Glaring at the lingering girls through the black metal gate. Helping me with the dishes and cleaning up after dinner.
In fact, that’s what he’s doing right now.
He stands beside me in his white dress shirt putting away the dishes that I’m giving him. And I’m doing the same thing that I always do these days, watching his strong beautiful hands, his veins, the tiny drops of water decorating his marble skin.
“Fae.”
I blink and look up. “What?”
He looks at me slightly impatiently. “The fucking dish.”
“Right.”
I hand him the rinsed dish I am holding and when he wipes it down and puts it up in the cupboard, I blurt out, “Reed, I…”
“You what?”
You what, Callie? Say it.
Tell him.
“I have a name,” I blurt out instead for some reason.
“What?”
“For her.”
He goes alert then. “You have a name for her.”
Biting my lip, I smile slightly. “Yes.”
Even though this wasn’t what I was going to say to him, I’m glad I did. Now that my mind isn’t muddled with exhaustion, I’ve been looking at names.
Or rather, paying attention in English lit class about character names and such.
And today I heard a name that I absolutely loved.
His wolf eyes sharpen with interest. “What is it?”
“Okay, so,” I begin, my voice buzzing with excitement as I close the tap and turn to him. “Today in class we were reading this story and there was a name that jumped out at me. It completely blew my mind.”
“Completely.”
“Yes. Like it changed how I looked at that name, you know. And I think it’s very rare. I don’t think I’ve ever —”
“Fae.”
“What?”
“What the fuck is the name?”
“Right, okay. Listen to this: Miya. With a Y.”
I grin then.
Because isn’t it wonderful? Who would have thought?
I mean, you either go with Mia or Maya. But Miya with a Y is so exotic and different and as soon as I heard it, I knew I was going to name her Miya.
He hasn’t said anything though.
He’s simply looking at me with a blank face, leaning against the counter in his open-collared office shirt, his arms folded across his chest.
So I prompt him as I keep grinning because I can’t contain the excitement. “So? What do you think? Miya with a Y, huh? I think this has completely changed how we think of the name Mia.”
“No.”
“What?”
“It hasn’t completely changed how we think of the name Mia.”
“What, why?”
“Because we still think Mia is a shitty name.”
“Excuse me?”
“And adding a Y in is not going to change that.”
I gasp. “Are you serious right now?”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
“Then you’re insane, Reed,” I tell him, raising my chin. “Mia is a wonderful name, okay? Adding a Y makes it even more wonderful.”
He shrugs then. “All right. I’m still not naming her Miya with a fucking Y.”
“You’re not naming her?”
“That’s what I said.”
I purse my lips at him. “First of all, you’re not going to name her anything. We’re going to do that. And second of all, I really don’t think you should curse, Reed. And third —”
“Why?”
“What?”
He unfolds his arms, straightening up, his eyes flashing. “You keep saying that. That I shouldn’t curse.”
I’m confused. “Yeah…”
“Why shouldn’t I?”
I tuck my loose strands behind my ears. “Because you shouldn’t.”
He takes a step toward me. “Yeah, you said that. Why?”
I automatically take a step back. “Because it’s bad manners.”
“And you’re a good girl.”
“Yes.”
“Yeah, you are.” He smirks slightly, taking me in, my braid, his hoodie, my bare toes.
I realize that I haven’t seen his smirk on him in so long. I haven’t seen him this cocky, this arrogant in so long either.
This predatory.
He’s glorious like this. Gorgeous.
As gorgeous as he is when he’s my protector.
Because he’s both, isn’t he?
He’s my protector, the one who takes care of me and treats me like I’m the most fragile thing ever, his Fae. But he’s also a predator, the one who broke my heart and who’s stalking toward me in all his dark glory.
“And what else?” he continues.
“I don’t like it.”
“Yeah, you do.”
“I don’t.”
“You always did,” he rasps, as he keeps coming toward me and as I keep moving back.
Until I can’t.
Because the small of my back has hit the counter and I come to a jerking halt.
Unlike my heart that’s pounding like crazy, because he’s right.
I do like it when he curses.
I do like it when he talks to me so unapologetically. In a way that’s so raw and intimate and… dirty. I’ve always liked it.
