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“Okay.” I swallowed, stubbing out my joint and muting the TV.
Beryl’s face went pink as she shifted anxiously from foot to foot. Her mouth opened, then closed, then opened again.
“I love you,” she blurted a second later, hands screwing up into fists at her sides. “I’m in love with you. I have no idea if there’s some rule I don’t know about that says you have to wait a certain amount of time before saying that, or if it’s weird to feel that way about you when it hasn’t been all that long, but… I wanted to tell you. I had to tell you.”
I was staring at her in shock, my mouth hanging open, my hearts already thudding hard in my chest.
Oh fuck, this was it. The big dramatic scene in every human romcom, the heartfelt confession where they declared their undying love for each other. I wasn’t prepared! There was sweet and sour sauce on the front of my onesie, for fuck’s sake. I wasn’t wearing any pants!
I looked around in wild panic as if I was expecting to see a production crew waiting in the wings to tell me what to do. I almost fell flat on my face as I rolled off the couch in my haste to get up, then accidentally slammed my shin into the coffee table.
“Ow, fuck.” I reached down and rubbed it as I hobbled over to Beryl. Her face had darkened in colour, and she was frozen in place, only her eyes moving as she tracked my approach.
“I’m sorry if I’ve freaked you out,” she croaked. “We can just forget I said it if—”
“I love you too,” I blurted, my ears and hairline spikes going crazy. “I’m… I-I love you too, berry.”
She let out a slow breath, a wide grin spreading across her beautiful, freckled face. “You do? Not just little old ladies?”
I cringed. “Okay, yeah, that wasn’t exactly subtle.”
Taking a deep breath, I reached for her and realised I was still in my true form when I saw the long, curving claws tipping my fingers. I wouldn’t be able to kiss her like this, and I planned on kissing the hell out of her very, very soon, so I shifted before sidling closer to cup her face.
“I think I fell a little bit in love with you the first moment I saw you,” I admitted, then swallowed nervously. “But now I… I love you so much, Beryl. I was worried that it… that it might be too much for you, or make you feel trapped—”
“I don’t feel trapped, Greid.” She reached up and clasped my wrist, a contented smile on her face. “Not with you. Never with you.”
“You… you make me really happy,” I mumbled. “It’s not even about the sex stuff. That’s just a bonus. It’s just you, berry. You’re so… I don’t ever want to…”
I broke off, wanting to squirm with nerves, aware I wasn’t being all that coherent or eloquent. Beryl waited patiently for me to continue, still smiling, her green eyes shining in the candlelight.
“I don’t ever want you to move out,” I blurted.
She huffed. “I wasn’t planning to.”
“And I want you to move into my room. Permanently.” I wasn’t used to taking charge like this, and it was equal parts invigorating and terrifying. I couldn’t help but add, “If you want to. You don’t have to.”
“I want to, Greid.” She took my hand and pressed a kiss to my palm. “I really want to.”
“Okay,” I said shakily, trying to think of anything else I could loftily demand while I was feeling brave.
There wasn’t anything. I just wanted her.
“Greid…” She threaded our fingers together. “You make me happy too. So happy. You make life fun, and I never realised how little fun had been in my life before. You’re my best friend.” She grinned up at me, cheeks still flushed. “You’re my favourite.”
“You’re my favourite too.” I ducked my head to kiss her.
Wanting to retain just a smidgen of dignity during such a life-altering moment, I lifted her into my arms so I wasn’t hunched over like an awkward, lanky goblin. She wrapped her legs around my waist, fingers in my hair as she kissed me back hard and deep, her soft tongue moving languidly against mine.
I took the opportunity to process what had just happened. My hearts were pounding. I felt a little sweaty. My limbs tingled with restless energy, tail flicking wildly against the backs of my legs.
Beryl loved me. Just thinking it made a wide grin stretch my mouth, and I broke the kiss so I wouldn’t accidentally cut her with my teeth. She grinned back, eyes shiny and cheeks sweetly pink. She was so beautiful it made my chest hurt.
Tightening her arms around my neck, she dipped her head to place a tender kiss beneath my jaw. I shuddered with pleasure, gripping her ass tighter to keep her pressed to me. My eyes slid shut as I buried my face in her soft curls.
“Let me take you to bed, Greid,” she murmured, lifting her head and pressing a soft kiss to my mouth. “So I can show you just how much I love you.”
I opened my eyes, letting out a shaky breath. My throat closed up as I rested my forehead against hers and nodded. “I’d love that.”
