“I’m glad you kept texting me when I blocked you.”
“I’m glad you wanted a fancy dutch oven badly enough to let me come over that night.”
“Honestly, I wanted company just as much,” she admitted.
“Well, you’re never going to be rid of me now. Embrace your lack of loneliness.”
She threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly. I hugged her back—and licked her shoulder again, just for the hell of it.
The way she laughed in response made me feel like the luckiest fucker alive.
epilogue
MAYA—A FEW WEEKS LATER
Ethan grinneddown at me as he spun me around the dance floor at Abby and Nico’s wedding. His eyes were bright, his hair was messy, and his tie was crooked.
He was perfect.
The decorations were beautiful. At least a thousand gorgeous paper flowers made from old book pages surrounded us. The lake paired with the leafless trees to create the perfect backdrop. The sunset made everything look more warm, gorgeous, and comfortable, and the space heaters eased the chill of the late December weather.
Ethan and I swayed together as the song slowed down.
Our pack was all over the dance floor, the couples spread out and nestled in with so many others I either didn’t know or had just barely met.
They were all Abby and Nico’s friends and family. I couldn’t even imagine having that many people to invite to my wedding.
Was I seriously thinking about having a wedding?
Maybe a little.
Zed, my new boss, was there in the crowd with his mate. He was nothing like Aidan. Even when things were intense, he never insulted or degraded anyone.
The last two weeks working in his restaurant had been something out of a dream. I was slow and rusty, but no one had treated me poorly for it. Somehow, I was even makingfriendsthere.
I was pretty sure Ethan was to blame for the friendships.
Spending so much time with him had made me reconsider my lack of friendship abilities, and taught me how to talk to people. He was a miracle worker when it came to conversations.
“What do you want to do after this, Muffin?” he asked me, pulling me closer so his lips brushed my ear. “Marry me?”
“I’d need a lot more dishes.”
“I’ll put in an order.”
“Don’t pay for fast shipping, this time.”
“You can’t stop me.” He nipped my earlobe lightly. “Everyone looks happy.”
“So do you.”
“Oh, I’m much happier than they are.”
“Are you?” I teased.
“By far.” He dragged his tongue slowly over the two piercings in my ear. His fascination with licking me had become endless.I didn’t hate it. “We could watch a romcom, now that you’ve admitted they’re the best.”
“It’s undeniable,” I said with a sigh.
