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His jaw tics. “I’m a clown to think she’d change.”
“In some ways, I think she has. I didn’t know her well before, but over the years, I’ve noticed a difference.”
He lets out a humourless laugh, looking down his nose at me. “Scar, I knew from the second her cold eyes landed on me nothing has changed.” He smooths a hand up my back, his face relaxing a little. “I trust your judgement, though. If you think she should be a part of Waverley’s life, I’ll respect that.”
“Ave’s smart. If she wants to see your mum, she can.”
He nods, letting his eyes dance around my face. “I’ll pay you back every penny.”
I bury my face in his chest, closing my eyes. “No.” I breathe him in. “You won’t.”
“Scarlet.”
“Lose the mentality that you owe anyone in this world a thing, Lance. Not least the person who knows your story. We owe each other that much, don’t we?”
“I oweyoumy entire life.”
I lean back, scowling at him. He has no idea. His mother just walked by him as if he were a stranger after seven years of not seeing or speaking to him. “Andyoudeserve it—your life. A good one.”
His lip curls as he fingers a wayward strand of my hair. “You have that look in your eyes.”
I lift my chin. “What look?”
“Like you’re ready to go to war.”
“You can’t throw your heart at the feet of anyone you think deserves it and then expect me not to fight for it.”
“I don’t expect it.”
“Exactly my point. You need love? You have it. You need family? We’re right here. Traditions and ideals are great, lovely even, but it’s also bullshit. Life isn’t what it gives you in luck or DNA. It’s what you make of yourself despite it.” I search his eyes. “Lance Sullivanisyour DNA, and that man has the shittiest luck, but the choices he makes for the people he chose—the people he loves, the way he cares despite people like her”—I nod in the direction of the house—“the way he loves in a way he’s never experienced himself… Lance, it makes you so much more.”
He stares down at me, his eyes heavy and glossy. “We define luck differently, me and you.”
“How so?”
He gives me an upside-down smile, looking toward the house. “Well, I met you for starters.” He brings his eyes back to me. “And you gave me the most precious piece of us. If that’s bad luck, build me a ladder. I’ll spend the rest of my days passing under it if it means I get more pieces of you.”
“You’d walk under a ladder for me?” I smile.
I die a little inside when a full smile cracks his mouth, and he looks away. “For the rest of my days.”
I purse my lips, trying to ease the ache in my cheeks. “I’ll add superstitious to the list then.”
He rolls his eyes and feigns frustration. “I was trying for romantic.”
“You have a way to go to get to romantic.”
“Three drains, will that do it?”
“Not the three drains,” I say sarcastically.
“Uh-huh.” His grin widens, and I can’t help but want to keep it permanently on his face. “Tell me it does it for you. I’ll search out every manhole in the country.”
“Sorry, you’ll what? Whose holes?”
“Shut up.” He pulls me back into his chest.
I laugh. “That truly is the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.”
