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“Splendid.” He offers me his hand. I take it, and tug him my way.
Viggo stumbles into me as if I’ve surprised him but accepts my hug. In fact, I think he might just hug me back. After a few seconds, he pulls away, adjusting his hat again. “Now, you’ll excuse me. I’m just going to go—”
“VIGGO!” Ziggy shrieks, so loud and shrill, I wince.
Viggo’s eyes widen. “I’m just going to go run for my life.”
The shed door whips open, and Ziggy stands, looking like a glorious, vengeful Valkyrie, chest heaving, her braid shredded to wild red ribbons framing her face. “What the fuck are you doing?” she yells.
The rest of the brothers who were here earlier suddenly appear behind her—Ryder, Axel, and Oliver, all looking pretty roughed up.
“We tried to hold her back,” Oliver explains between pants. “But uh, Ziggy, one. Us—” He points to his brothers. “Zero.”
Ziggy rushes toward Viggo, hellfire in her eyes.
“Hey, you.” I hug her, bringing her to a stop.
“I’m really mad right now, Sebastian,” she mutters against my shoulder, her body stiff in my arms.
I rub her back in gentle circles. “I know. But we had a good talk.”
“He put me in my place,” Viggo offers. “Handily.”
Ziggy pulls out of my grip and glares at Viggo. “I’m still gonna tickle you till you pee later.”
He sighs bleakly. “I’m not gonna lie and say I look forward to it, but I accept my fate.”
She spins around and looks at her brothers who clearly tried to slow her down. “Don’t do that again. Don’t come between me and the person I—” She closes her mouth, her cheeks turning pink. “You know what I mean.”
They nod solemnly.
She stomps her foot, her face flushed. “I’m so darn sick of this. No more babying me. Love me, but please see me as I am. A grown woman who can make her choices. And I. Choose. Him. Full stop. Okay?”
They all smile. She blinks, stunned. “That…was not the response I was expecting. What is going on?”
“Ziggy.” I clasp her hand, squeezing. Gently, I thread our fingers together. “What do you say we go for a walk?”
31
ZIGGY
Playlist: “Snow On The Beach,” Brennan Lynch
Sebastian tugs me gently with him. I glance over my shoulder at my brothers one last time, puzzled as they smile, then turn and start walking in the direction of Axel’s house.
Spinning back around, I follow Sebastian, my hand tight in his, our fingers tangled together. My gaze drifts over him, and my stomach flip-flops. He’s wearing the worn jeans from the night he came to my place and we ate cake on his deck, my favorite of his soft T-shirts, the sage-silvery one that I’ve wanted to steal since the first time I saw him wear it, except that then it would rob me the pleasure of seeing it on him.
Bearing to the left, he leads me onto the main hiking path, straight toward the tree.
My tree.
Whose blossoms drift down in the air, small, white, snowdrift petals landing in a creamy carpet at our feet. I bite my lip, tugging against him, trying to stop him.
Suddenly, I’m very, very frightened.
I don’t feel like big, brave Ziggy 2.0 anymore.
What if he isn’t turning and looking at me under my tree for the reason I want him to? What if, in this time he’s needed, he’s realized more between us isn’t what he feels capable of, isn’t what he wants?
