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I fumble in my purse, unwrap the pendant, and pass it over his head to let it hang around his neck. The small stone lion gleams in the harsh fluorescent lights, resting against his dirty, blood-spattered white T-shirt.
“Okay,” I whisper. “You can look.”
He blinks, his hand grasping the pendant, lifting it. He swallows, the knot in his throat rising and falling. “Why?” he asks in his turn, his voice so low it’s barely audible.
“Because sometimes we need a talisman to help us believe in ourselves. You gave me yours,” I show him the leather bracelet. “I haven’t taken it off since you gave it to me. I feel you in it, always close to me. So I’m giving you mine, to protect you and tell you…” My mouth is bone dry. I have to lick my lips before I can speak. “That I’m in love with you.”
“God, Embers.” He pulls me back to him, crashes me to his chest, his heart booming against my ear. “Won’t you ask me? Ask the last question?”
Dammit, I have tears in my eyes, and I have no clue what he’s going on about. “What question?”
“I promised to answer three questions. Go on. Ask.”
“I don’t…” I sniffle in his T-shirt. “I don’t have any more questions.”
“Come on, Embers.”
I don’t reply. Can’t speak. I shake my head.
“I swear,” he whispers, his warm hand trailing up to my face, cradling my wet cheek. “I swear it.”
“Swear what?” I croak, my tears soaking his skin.
He tilts my head back and gives me his faint, bright smile that reaches his eyes and makes them sparkle.
“I love you,” he says. “So fucking much. More than I ever thought I could, or will again.”
Oh God, nothing can top what he just said. So I rise up on tiptoe, fuse my mouth to his and kiss him into silence.
We spent the night in my bed, tangled together. We kissed until we passed out last night, but nothing more happened, and I’m fine with that.
Not that I don’t burn for his touch, that I’m not fantasizing about him making love to me again. But he’s battered and exhausted, and the few things he managed to tell me when we came home late in the night were enough to freeze my blood in my veins and bring fresh tears to my eyes.
About everyone blaming him for what happened at the wedding. About the beating and how he tried to pull the thugs away from Seth but wasn’t sure he made it. About Mel who found what he needed. About loneliness and sadness and hopelessness.
But also about the bright spots. Zane and his Damage Control brothers. His roommates who turned out to be nice guys after all.
And me. Hearing him say this mends my heart in places I didn’t know it had cracked and fills it with stardust.
When morning comes, I carefully extricate myself from his arms, smiling when he frowns and cracks an eye open, looking for me. I kiss his scruffy cheek quickly and pad to the bathroom. After brushing my teeth and splashing my face with cold water, I make my way to the kitchen to start breakfast. I figure we both need it after last night.
But there’s someone in the kitchen already.
Kayla is standing at the window, clad in boyish blue shorts and an oversized T-shirt that reads in big bold, red letters, “My blood type is coffee.” Her hair sticks in each and every direction, like the spines of a hedgehog.
She turns and toasts me with her mug. “Morning, girly.”
“Morning.” I grab a mug and fill it up, then slide into a chair, yawning so hard my jaw cracks. “What are you doing up so early?”
“The real question is what are you doing?” She sticks her tongue out at me. “Why aren’t you cuddling the hottie in your bed instead?”
I roll my eyes at her. “Kay… You been spying on us through the keyhole?”
“Nah, saw it in the cards this morning.” She winks at me as she sits down across from me. “What? It’s better than using bird entrails or something gross like that, right?”
I shake my head, at a loss for words. Besides, I need more coffee. Too early in the morning to discuss bird entrails.
“So… I’ll be off for a few days. Give you two lovebirds space to talk and screw like rabbits.” She frowns. “Can birds screw like rabbits?”
