Chapter Text
Mari brought him to a little pizza joint. Gino’s, the sign said. He hadn’t wanted to go – he wanted to find a gas station, get his truck towed to it so he can refill his gas, and then do…something. It was the fact that he didn’t know what to do after fixing his truck up that Mari dragged him to this restaurant. She called it brain food, which was incorrect in every way possible, but he still let it happen. He found that the longer he talked to her, the harder it was to tell her no.
The smell of marinara and garlic hit him as soon as he stepped in. Bright fluorescent lights shone off of multicolored tiles while a chipper tune played from a jukebox in the corner. The whole thing hurt his head a little, but Mari was undeterred. She tugged him over to a table near the wall and sat him down, then hopped over to the counter register. Hero’s stomach growled, reminding him that he both skipped breakfast and barely ate dinner last night. That…probably didn’t help his head injury.
Mari returned to their table with two drinks and a bright smile. She winked at him as she set one in front of him and took a seat of her own. He hummed in thought and took a sip. It was a plain water.
“How are you paying for all this?” He asked, “I thought you didn’t have any clothes with you when you shifted…but you have a wallet?”
Mari shrugged. “Oh, I took yours out of your bag when I took your clothes. Thought it might come in handy.”
Hero spat out his drink. Mari howled in laughter as he coughed up a lung and tossed a handful of napkins at him. He shot her a disapproving glare as he took them and cleaned up himself. She didn’t look the slightest bit guilty. If anything, she looked heartily amused.
“Ugh…” he groaned and shook his head. “You just love messing with me, don’t you?”
“I can’t help it! You look so cute when your face is all scrunched up like that.” She took a loud sip from her drink and batted her eyes. “Careful, though. You might get wrinkles.”
Hero blushed. He turned away from her and leaned his head against his hand, distracting himself from her jests by scanning the pizzeria. She snickered as he ignored her.
There weren’t a whole lot of people there, currently. A small family sat at a table near the front, clearly waiting on their food, and a single man was a little farther back from them with a whole pizza spread in front. Near where he and Mari sat, next to the jukebox, a young man stood fiddling with the controls of it. That was the entirety of the place, which Hero was rather thankful for. Less people meant less chance of being recognized as a hunter, and even though he logically new no common person could guess Mari was a nonhuman, he couldn’t help but feel a trickle of anxiety being in public with her…
…especially since she was in his clothes. He was trying very hard no to think too hard about all the implication of her only wearing his clothes right now.
Once his face was suitably cooled – god, he wished she’d stop flirting with him – he turned back to Mari. She sat back in her chair with her eyes closed, and appeared to be dozing off. He supposed that if she spent all night watching him in camp then she didn’t exactly have time to sleep herself…
He kept quiet to keep from waking her up. It was the least he could do.
In the bright light of the restaurant, she almost seemed unreal. Her skin glowed under the fluorescents, and it shone off her hair like it was obsidian. Her nose twitched occasionally – she likely had enhanced smell even as a human. Though hard to make out under the buzzing fans and clinky music of the room, he could hear her humming softly. She hummed to herself a lot, he noticed. Soft tunes that seemed too complex and too well woven to just be something idle from her mind.
She had a nice voice. As much as he wished it wasn’t used primarily for teasing him, he couldn’t help but enjoy it. It was always so chipper, with a cadence like she was often singing. She could probably read a dictionary out loud to him and he’d still be as invested as if she were telling him her life story. She was just so… captivating.
His chest tightened painfully. Was he being cursed? Is that it? First his brother, and now this wonderful woman. He’s barely known her for a day and he can already feel her taking up room in his mind. Was he cursed to have to put down such lovely, lovely people?
“Most women take offense to being stared at, you know.”
Hero barely blinked. “You’re not like most women.”
Mari opened her eyes and looked at him. She leaned forward on the table and smirked at him. “Oh? It is because I’m a…bitch?” She said, and then grinned like she told the funniest joke on Earth. Hero bit his cheek hard to avoid laughing.
He swallowed it back, and said, “Yeah, you’re a total bitch.”
Mari laughed. Hero could see her canines as she did; They weren’t as big or sharp as a vampire’s fangs, but they were still noticeable. The sight of them made his face heat up for some reason.
Her laughs turned to chuckles as she calmed down. She stirred the ice in her drink with her straw idly. “Oh, what would your mother say if she heard you calling little ole me a bitch…” Her lips pursed and she glanced at him. “Or…should I say guild master? What kind of hunter are you, anyway?”
“I’m surprised you know there’s different types of hunters,” he said. “Usually it’s only city folk that know that. Most rural people I’ve met tend to assume we’re some sort of…hivemind organization.” That said, even people that do know the difference between hunters most of the time couldn’t name any big families or guilds.
It got on his nerves sometimes. He was proud of his family. Being mistaken for other families or being assumed to be a freelancer… Kel always found it funny, but Hero had to try his best not to feel offended.
Mari stuck her tongue out. “I though we already established I’m not like most people you know?”
“You’re right, you’re right…I’m lineage.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out one of his rings, showing off the emblem. He was starting to miss wearing them a little. He felt almost naked without them. “From house Garcia.”
Mari ooh ed. She grabbed a napkin and folded it up in her hand, then stuck it out at him. “Can I see?” She asked.
Hero blinked. Was she…talking about his ring?
He eyed her hand. He’s hardly even let Kel hold his rings.
Mari looked at him with an expectant smile. She was a wolf, so…it’s not like she could steal them. They were made of silver.
He gulped. It was…fine, right?
Slowly, he grabbed her hand and pulled it closer. He carefully dropped the ring on the napkin in her hand and, hesitantly, let go. He was tense as he watched her bring the ring up to her face. Her eyes were wide and sparkling as she studied the shining silver, eyes trailing over the emblem engraved onto it. The Garcia emblem was a large juniper tree, symbolizing strength and survival through hardship. Hero had snuck over to their family’s smiths to watch them forge and design the ring when he was old enough to get them. He remembered being thirteen and curled up in a chair, hair mussed up and covered in silt so that his family wouldn’t recognize him if they came looking, and watching with stars in his eyes as that tiny glowing piece of metal was molded into something so sacred.
Mari had similar stars in her eyes. She traced her nails – long enough to nearly be claws – over the markings of the ring, careful not to make actual skin contact. She seemed entranced by the design, utter awe softening her face and making her glow. Her graceful air took his breath away. She was holding something very, very precious to him, looking at it as if it were just as precious to her, as well. He couldn’t look away.
“…It’s beautiful,” she said softly. She slowly took her eyes off the ring in her hand and looked up at him. Her eyes were a little…sad. “You should be very proud.”
Hero almost forgot to respond. “I am.”
Mari smiled. She grabbed his hand and pulled it to her, much like he did to her earlier, and dropped the ring in his hand. She pushed his fingers inward, closing his hand over the ring, and cupped his now-closed fist in her hands. “I’m glad…” she said even softer, “Family is a beautiful, beautiful thing. I’m glad you cherish them.”
Family is a beautiful, beautiful thing.
Hero snatched his hand away as if he’d been burned. The blood drained from his face and he glared at Mari with all the force he could muster. His breath was shaky with guilt and anger. She said that on purpose, didn’t she? She knew what he tried to do with Kel. She’d watched him do it. She – she knew what she was doing by saying that.
Mari’s eyes widened as if she were actually surprised by his reaction. “H – Hero? What –“
“Shut up,” he snapped. She opened her mouth and he snapped again, harsher. “ Shut up.”
He stood up from his seat. Mari’s eyes turned from shock to panic and she stood with him. She tried to grab his arm. “Hey, what’s up with you?!”
He used her grip on his arm to pull her close to him. “ You, ” he hissed, “ Do not get to guilt-trip me about the situation with my brother.” He shoved her away. He could feel eyes on him from the rest of the people in the pizzeria, and he was sure this looked awful from the outside, but he didn’t care. He took a deep breath to get a handle on his temper. He pointed at her sternly “You have no idea what situation I’m in. Don’t you dare act like you know better than me.”
Mari blinked at him, her face twisted up slightly with displeasure. She seemed to want to say something, but remained quiet. She met his glare fearlessly, something stormy behind her eyes. What he said hit a visible nerve with her, and he dared her to talk back.
She closed her eyes. He watched her take a breath and hold it for a few seconds. When she released it, she was noticeably more relaxed. The look she gave him when she opened her eyes jabbed him in the chest like an icepick. She was looking at him like he was a wounded animal. Like he was something to be pitied.
“I know more than you think,” she said calmly. She gave him a gentle smile. “I just want to help you, Hero.”
“I am the eldest son and heir to the head of House Garcia. Someone like you wouldn’t be able to help me with my problems.” He crossed his arms. “Which I don’t have, by the way.”
“Of course you don’t,” she said patronizingly. Hero gritted his teeth. God, Mari was beautiful, but she just loved to get on his nerves, didn’t she?
“Is…everything okay over here?” A voice said to their side. Their waiter was standing a little off from them, holding a large pizza on a platter. They were looking between the two of them nervously, though their words seemed more directed towards Mari than Hero.
Mari clapped her hands together gleefully. “Yep! Everything’s fine!” She chirped. She helped the waiter lower the pizza to the table and smiled. “Thank you very much! Send my compliments to the chef, will you?”
The waiter smiled back nervously. They glanced at Hero apprehensively. “Er…alright. Have a…nice meal.”
Hero looked at the ground as they walked away. He felt flustered and off-balance. The look they gave him, like he was something dangerous to be watched. He clenched his fists, feeling the weight of his family ring sit in his hand. He heard Mari pull out a chair and sit down, and he smelled the savory scent of the newly arrived food. His stomach growled, but he still didn’t sit. His parents would be very, very disappointed if they saw him act out like that.
Something nudged his leg. He glanced over and saw Mari lightly kicking him with her foot. Somehow, he only just noticed she was barefoot. He was surprised she didn’t ask if he had an extra pair of shoes.
He looked up. Mari gazed at him expectantly. She tilted her head and gestured to the seat beside her, where she’d already plated him a slice of pizza. He stared at it for a long time, lost in thought.
Mari was a very strange woman. She was upbeat and blunt, but soft around the edges. She wasn’t afraid of him despite their positions. She didn’t hate him for it, either. If anything, she was impressed, if her reverence with his crest was anything to go by.
She liked him. Even a dense brick like him could tell that she enjoyed his company.
Despite everything, he did, too. He enjoyed talking to her. He enjoyed the way she made him felt when she winked at him. He enjoyed hearing her twinkly laugh and feeling her bump into him to get his attention. She was like a breath of fresh air. She spoke with a soft voice and a strong heart. She didn’t cast judgement on him for his line of work or praise him like an idol for his family’s name. She just treated him like…some guy that she happened to meet and fancied. That was all.
He so, so, so badly wanted to treat her the same way. He wanted to pretend she was some girl that he ran into and hit it off with. He wanted to pretend that she wasn’t a beast, and that he wasn’t ethically obligated to kill her before he left this town.
He wanted… so, so badly to be wrong about his stance with Kel. Even after everything he’s done and the strength of his resolve, he wanted to be wrong. He wanted to let his brother live. He wanted to let Mari live. He’d rather be wrong and hated than be a killer who was right.
Hero was just so certain he was right.
He took his seat silently. He hated this. He hated this so much. If he ever got his hands on that damn vampire that bit his brother, he was going to rip it to pieces. He’s never held a vindictive streak or anything like that, but he’d be damned if he let the monster that ruined his brother’s life go without punishment.
With a sigh, he grabbed his slice of pizza. Mari was already finished with her plate and was reaching for another. It was a wonder that she was so hungry after eating that whole cooler of food, but…
He looked away and flushed. It was rude to stare at women when they ate. He was raised better than this. He was raised better than… all of this. All of this doubt and second-guessing. All of this floundering and putting off what needed to be done. He was better than this.
He took a bite. He’s been living off of fast food and convenience store snacks ever since he took off looking for Kel, so he wasn’t initially too excited about today’s lunch (breakfast? brunch?) option. Maybe it was stress, but the food was little more than dust on his tongue. He knew he needed to eat, though, so he forced it down his throat and continued eating. Mari poked his shoulder as he ate, and he resisted the urge to scowl when he looked at her. He was still angry.
She grinned cheekily. “So…how is it?” She asked. “I’ve been going to this place ever since I was a kid. The pizza’s awesome, right?”
Hero stopped chewing for a moment. She seemed to have completely gotten over their spat and held an excited gleam in her eyes.
He swallowed. The pizza tasted a lot better when he was looking at her.
“It’s good,” he said. He looked back at his plate. “Better than what I’ve been eating, at least.”
Mari cheered. “Great! A guy like you deserves some good food, y’know? Bad food ruins your skin!”
Hero didn’t give her a response. He cursed himself for blushing so easily, even when upset. Mari didn’t seem to mind his silence though, and continued happily eating her part of the meal. He felt a little jealous of her for being able to bounce back after their fight so quickly. Maybe it’s just because he’s not used to getting fired up so easily…
Somehow, he managed to get himself to eat more than one slice. Mari ate most of the pizza. She seemed greatly pleased by the meal and left a hearty tip – and gave back Hero’s wallet, too, which was now several dollars short. Wonderful. At least she didn’t take any of his cards.
He planned to bid her adieu outside the restaurant so that he could get a hotel room and let his family know he was alive – it’s been long enough since he checked in that they might start getting worried – but she didn’t give him a moment to so much as breathe. She grabbed his arm and pulled him forward, marching through the streets with her head held high. Hero stumbled behind her, still not used to her constantly grabbing him.
He sputtered. “H-hey, where are we -!?”
“You’re broke, babe,” she said casually, “so I’m not going to let you waste your money at the local motel. Come on.”
Hero stared at the back of her head as she continued leading him through town. They passed a high-rising fountain and a park full of people, and every other turn they took they came across a group of stray cats. Mari always shot the cats a quick meow as a greeting when they passed, and they always meowed back. Hero was shocked – usually animals…didn’t quite like nonhumans. She must’ve spent a lot of time building trust with the local wildlife.
She dragged him down a residential street. It was quieter in this part of town. She slowed her pace down. Hero sped up so he could be walking side-by-side with her, but she kept her grip on his arm even then. He didn’t quite want her to let go.
“You can let go, now,” he said. Mari rolled her eyes but complied. She didn’t buy his uninterested act any more than he himself did. She continued leading him down the street, and Hero observed the homes they passed curiously. It seemed to be a rather wealthy part of town from the looks of it.
She led him down to the end of the line of houses. The house she stopped at was a little more dilapidated that the others, with the lawn a bit unkempt and a few tall weeds growing against the walls. A picnic basket sat next to the closed garage, the colors of the blanket sticking out visibly sun bleached.
Despite all that, though, there were rows of planters surrounding the property. They were full of flowers – lilies of the valley if he recalled correctly. He wasn’t very knowledgeable on flowers. They looked well taken care of, standing tall and strong. Mari brushed her hand against them as she walked by, and Hero copied her.
Mari came up to the front of the house and kneeled down to lift up the doormat. She took a key out from under it and unlocked the door. She pushed it open and stepped aside to give him a bow and gesture inside. “After you,” she said.
Hesitantly, Hero stepped inside. He looked around cautiously, noting the exits – two doors to the left, a hallway near the front, and a sliding glass door leading to the backyard. The house itself was rather bare. The lack of furniture and amount of boxes stacked in the corners and against the wall led him to think that there was some sort of move going on. This was clearly Mari’s house, so he was very curious…
Mari tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. “Hey, I’m going to go up and change into some actual clothes really quick. Make yourself at home!”
Hero waited until she disappeared past the entry to the hallway before continuing to look around. The doors to the left led to a room connected to a kitchen, which he could only guess was supposed to be a dining room of sorts. It was just as full of boxes as the living room, maybe even a little more.
He glanced back to make sure Mari was gone before quickly dropping down next to one of the boxes and opening it up. It was rude to snoop, he knew, but…he was just so intrigued by Mari. He wanted to know what made her tick. Besides, the boxes were probably just full of dishware or trinkets or something else inconsequential.
He was right, mostly. Under the packing peanuts and padding, he mostly found little knick-knacks and the like. A lot of them looked like a child’s arts and crafts – a lumpy clay cup, a popsicle stick…thing…, a construction paper booklet full of drawings. There was even a sketch book stuffed in the side of the box with the name Sunny scribbled onto the front. Hero flipped through the pages curiously, mostly just finding bright color pencil drawings of what almost looked like cartoon characters. He wondered who Sunny was. Maybe Mari’s brother that she mentioned?
At the very bottom of the box, he found a framed photo. It was small – the kind of thing you’d set up on a desk or something. He pulled it out and brought it near a window so he could see the picture clearly.
Let’s see…there was a girl, possibly twelve or so. One look at the grin she bore and Hero knew, without a doubt, that it was Mari. He couldn’t help but coo a little. She was an adorable kid, with an oversized sweater vest and neatly pressed button-up shirt.
There were two people behind her. Her parents, he presumed. The parents had their arms around each other, giving the camera a small smile each. The mother was carrying a large umbrella that shaded over the whole family. She gave Hero a slight pause, because it almost looked like her eyes were…glowing.
Interesting.
Just as interesting as the little boy that kid Mari had her arms around. His eyes, too, seemed to glow in the shade. Something about him seemed…familiar though. He was small with messy black hair, and a blank expression that held no clear emotion. Hero was really, really bad with faces, though, so no matter how hard he combed through his brain, he just couldn’t place where he’d seen that boy. It frustrated him. It felt important.
He quickly packed everything back into the box when he’d had enough snooping. He didn’t think Mari would be too mad if she caught him – if anything, she would probably laugh and tease him for it – but he still didn’t want her to see him like this. As pointless as it would be in the long run, he didn’t want her to think less of him. He knew it was stupid, but he just couldn’t help it. He wanted her to like him.
He wondered back into the living room just in time for Mari to hop back in as well. Hero froze in place as she stepped in, now dressed in her own clothes. It was just a simple purple dress with a belt around the waist, nothing special about it, but seeing the frills dance around her as she twirled in place took his breath away regardless.
She carried his clothes in her arms and stood in front of him with one eyebrow raised. She hummed. “Is something the matter? You’re staring again~”
“You’re gorgeous,” he muttered without thinking. As soon as his words registered his eyes widened and his face began to burn hot enough he was sure he was getting burnt. “I-I’m sorry, -!” He squeaked out, humiliated, “That was – I mean, I, um – I…I…”
He trailed off as he realized Mari didn’t have her usual teasing expression. Her eyes were wide and her lips were slightly parted. She was very still, and a faint dusting of pink spread slowly across her face.
Hero blinked. Was she… also embarrassed?
He grinned slowly. “Is something the matter? You’re staring~” He teased, copying her words from earlier. It was about time she got a taste of her own medicine.
Mari shook out of her stupor with a gasp. She puffed her cheeks out and shoved Hero’s clothes into his arms. “That wasn’t fair!” She complained. She crossed her arms and looked away, still red in the face. Hero couldn’t help but laugh. She pouted. “You caught me off guard! Jeez…”
He smirked. “What, can’t take what you dish out?”
She looked at him from the corner of his eyes, and he suddenly felt very afraid. Faster than he could see, she grabbed his scarf and yanked him down to her level. Their faces were close enough that he could feel her eyelashes brush against his forehead. He could barely breathe and felt frozen in place.
“Oh, honey,” she whispered dangerously, “You wish you could take everything I dish out. Don’t play with me.”
Hero gulped. He got the impression that she wasn’t talking about all the flirting she’s been doing. There was something sharp in her eyes and a darkness to her voice. His heart pounded under his ribs.
He nodded sharply. She held him in place for a little while longer, not letting him look away. The longer they stood like that, the warmer his face felt.
And then it all melted away, and she grinned cheekily. She booped his nose and winked. “I appreciate the compliment, though! You’re so sweet, Hero.”
She let go and he stumbled back, trying to put space between them. He stared at her wildly and let himself fall into a self-defense stance. He knew he shouldn’t have trusted her. He knew it, and he still let himself do it. He was so stupid. He knew it, he knew it, he knew it -!
Her smile softened. She held out her hand. “I don’t want to fight you, Henry,” she said gently. “I really do want to help you, you know.”
Hero shook his head and took another step back. The front door was behind him. He could make it out and run to town. He didn’t think Mari would attack him in public; She clearly valued the town too much for that.
Her smile became a little sad. “ Please . I know we haven’t been getting along too well, all things considered, but…” Her hand dropped to her side and she looked at the floor. Her gaze was far away, as if she were lost in thought. Hero narrowed his eyes.
“ But?” He gritted out. “Why should I let you help me? We haven’t even known each other for a day, why the hell would you even want to help me out? What could you possibly get out of this?”
“…You remind me of myself, if I were to be honest,” she said quietly. Hero furrowed his brows, confused.
“…What do you mean?”
He tensed as she began to move, but she was only going to one of the boxes to sit down. She folded her hands in her lap and closed her eyes. She was quiet for a moment before she spoke.
“I wasn’t born a wolf,” she said. “The wraith has been attracting things these past few years, and... I got bit. I think it was…maybe a year ago?”
Hero dropped his stance a little, though he remained on edge. He probably shouldn’t, but…he wanted to hear her out. Just for curiosity’s sake.
She pulled her hair over her shoulder and fiddled with it as she kept talking. “I hated it. I hated every moment of it. I hated all the smells and sounds… I hated how many colors suddenly started dulling out… I hated how hungry I got… it was like Hell.” She sighed and glanced up at him. “Sound familiar, hm? Your companion offered your brother blood, if I recall.”
It was. It was very familiar. That agonizing description…it was exactly what he imagined Kel felt. Whenever he tried to put himself in his brother’s shoes, all he could focus on was how horrible everything must be.
He nodded. She nodded back. A sudden painful look came over her. She tilted her head down, bangs falling in front of her face to hide her expression.
“…I asked my brother to kill me,” she said quietly. Hero’s body went cold. He stared at her in shock as she continued. “What with everything else going on, I just…couldn’t handle it. So I asked my darling baby brother to kill his own sister. Can you imagine that?” She chuckled humorlessly. “Could you imagine your little brother begging you to kill him?”
He…
He couldn’t. He couldn’t imagine it. Kel had begged Hero not to kill him. He was sure his brother was suffering, but – he couldn’t ever picture him begging for death because of it. Kel was more of the type to suffer in silence.
He couldn’t imagine Mari begging for death, either. She just seemed so…full of life.
“…What did he do?” He asked tentatively. Clearly, he didn’t actually kill his sister, but…
Mari chuckled again. “He cried,” she said simply. “He’s usually so stoic, but as soon as I got on my knees, he started to cry. I kept begging and begging, and he kept crying and crying…our friend had to pull us apart. He couldn’t even look at me for almost a month afterwards.”
She went silent after that. Hero shuffled in place, feeling uneasy. Her story tugged at his heart, but…
“Why are you telling me this? Why?”
Mari stood up. She slowly walked up to him, her head still down and face still hidden. Hero watched her carefully, but did nothing as she grabbed on of his hands and pulled it to her chest. She squeezed it tightly.
“…You don’t want to kill him,” she said. Hero opened his mouth to argue, but she quickly cut him off. “You feel like you have to, like it’s better , but you don’t want to. I could tell by the way you spoke to him, and by the way you spoke about him.” Her thumb rubbed against the back of his hand. “You want to protect him…”
Hero didn’t say anything. He stared down at her with a tight grimace.
Mari took a breath and looked up at him. Her eyes were lit up with fierce determination. “I want to help you. I want to show you that it’s possible for everything to be okay. You can live happily. He can live happily. You don’t have to do this.” She grabbed his other hand and held it tightly. “ Please. I know you want it to be possible. And it can be. You just…have to trust me. Let me show you, Hero.”
Hero swallowed. He closed his eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. Mari’s hands were warm against his.
He felt like he was on fire. He was standing in a pit of flames, shivering and shaking and burning alive. Something was carving his heart out of his chest and grinding his ribcage into powder. His stomach was doing somersaults while his blood roared in his ears.
He shouldn’t trust her. He had ever reason in the world not to. She was a stranger. She was a monster. She threatened him. Why should he let her dictate his beliefs? What right does she have to tell him he was wrong? He was trying to uphold the values of his family. He was trying to be a good brother by their standards. Who was she to tell him it was bullshit?
Who was he to want to believe her?
He was an idiot. A disgraceful, dishonorable idiot. He kept falling for cute smiles and raucous laughter and letting it distract him from the devil underneath.
The door was behind him. He should leave. He should put his hands around Mari’s neck and choke the life out of her. She should die. Kel should die. Hero…
He bit his tongue. Hero…
He felt his eyes burn. Hero…
Hero didn’t want them to die. Hero didn’t want to kill them. Mari was right.
“How am I supposed to just…take your word?” He asked. His voice trembled.
Mari’s hand let go of his and came up to cup his face. He felt her lean closer to him. “Because you want to,” she said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
And, once again, she was right. He wanted to.
He licked his lips. Shakily, he nodded.
“Okay,” he whispered. He raised his free hand to cover hers, holding it to his cheek. Her hand was so, so warm. “Okay. I’ll trust you.”