He laughed, then bent to kiss me, and I cupped his jaw before kissing him back.
“For a second there I thought you’d say no,” he murmured against my lips. “That house holds so many memories, and for me to ask you to leave them all behind, to move in with me all of a sudden… It must’ve been–”
I stopped him with a kiss, and when he made a surprised sound against me, I moved back and signed,I want to be with you. I want to make new memories with you.Memories that aren’t tainted by a painful past full of loss and tragedy, but ones that are full of madness and love.
His expression softened. “Of course.” He pushed my hair away from my forehead. “I’ll give you anything you want, Rina. Everything I can give you, it’s yours. All you have to do is ask.”
What about that bracelet, then?I asked.
He chuckled and pulled a similar box out of his hoodie pocket. “This?” He then looked at it with a clenched jaw. “I was planning on returning it. This stupid piece of crap is what caused all of this.” He waved the box in my direction. “Come to think of it, I should prolly burn it. Damn it to hell.”
I clicked my tongue and wiggled my wrist in front of him, letting him know whereIthought the bracelet should go.
He narrowed his eyes at me. “No.”
Yes, I signed.
“Nope.”
Yup.
He stared at me for a while, hoping I’d change my mind.
I didn’t, of course.
“Fine.” He sighed, then opened the box before pulling the bracelet out. He glared at it for a second too long, then gently fastened it around my left wrist. “There you go.”
The chain shone against the pale lights in the room, making the fluorite appear slightly muted.
Pretty, I signed, then admired the bracelet again. It complemented my skin tone quite well, and fit me just as perfectly, too.
“I’m glad you’re happy with it.” I was, buthedidn’t seem to match my enthusiasm. So, I decided to move to a different topic.
How will we get my things from the house without Avô going ballistic on us?I asked him.
He grinned slowly. “We’re friends with a group ofverydetermined and insanely intimidating individuals, remember? I think they’ll do a perfectly fine job of retrieving your stuff from the clutches of your hungry-for-blood grandfather.”
I laughed, and moaned softly when he leaned in and kissed me on the lips.
“That’s it; keep that smile on your face –always,” Myles said. “I never want it to dim. I never wanna see your tears; never wanna see you hurt. Once was enough to scar me, and I promise I’ll never,everlet it happen again.” He parted my lips and ran his tongue over the roof of my mouth.
I tangled my fingers in his hair and kissed him back – despite the dizziness in my head, the pulsing pain shooting through myleg, and the annoying beep-beep-beep of the monitor grating at my nerves.
Because none of it really mattered, not when it was just the two of us.
50. Living With Him
Iswiped my slightly cold fingers over my eyes before slowly blinking them open. The insistent hum of the air conditioner hit my ears as I yawned behind a hand, and the crisp morning light touched my face every so often as it peeked through the swaying grey curtain in front of the window to the right.
I pressed my lips together to stop myself from groaning at the burning pain in my ankle, then lifted my stiff back a little before shifting it this way and that to give it some movement.
Myles had gotten an elevation pillow for me in order to prevent my right leg from swelling while the ankle healed, and, because it’d only been 3 days since my surgery, adjusting to the comfortable yet massive pillow, even while in bed, was still a little difficult.
Avôhad been livid when I’d told him that I was moving in with Myles. He’d protested, of course, but had had to give up when I’d stayed adamant on my decision.
He’d also been surprisingly less stubborn than expected when Daniel and Ash had gone over to the house to pack my things up 2 days ago, and I knew this was his way, however unconventional, of telling me that he was okay with me having moved out; that he was okay with the idea of me living with Myles. It was a small step forward, but still one I was glad for.
I knew Myles was just as shocked byAvô’schange of behavior, but he didn’t exactly react to it, or even acknowledge his confusion out loud.
