You matter to me.
All that and more passed between us with each sweep of our lips and tongues. Even when we finally pulled apart to rest our foreheads together, the message remained. The feelings remained.
“I love you,” we said at the same time.
We pulled back to look at the other. He let out a small laugh that I joined in on. Still grinning, he put his arm around me and tucked me into his side while I looked down at the snoozing pups in my lap.
Life was messy, and I knew dark days and moments would find me again. But right now, I was happy, and I was determined to hold onto that for as long as possible.
Diary Entry 203
Dear Twila,
It’s been awhile. A lot has happened since we last spoke. I nearly went somewhere I couldn’t come back from, but … I didn’t. I’m still here, and I’m glad for that.
I’ve learned some pretty valuable stuff over the last few weeks. I’ve learned it’s the little things that make up a greater sense of well-being. With how overwhelming life can get, or more accurately, my mind, I found that focusing on the little things helps a lot. When my thoughts are spiraling into places I can’t afford to go, I like to focus on those small things.
The rich aroma of percolating coffee.
Rough capybara fur gliding between my fingers.
Cold raindrops on my bare skin.
The smell of old and new books.
Running my hands through soft blades of grass.
Lavender bubble baths.
The first crack in the spine of a new notebook.
The steady and strong rhythm of Dante’s heartbeat beneath my ear.
I could go on, but I’d waste all your paper, Twila. You get the point. I’ve found so many little things that serve as reminders for when I’m struggling. They remind me to keep pushing forward, even when it’s hard. They remind me that, even on hard days, these finer details will remain to ground me in happier thoughts and better memories.
When I started looking for those things in everyday life, I started to find my footing again. Did I tell you, Twila? I’m writing a really great story right now. I know I started writing to you when I was a nobody, but maybe that’s all changing. I choose to believe that’s the case. Wish me luck, Twila!
Serenity
Chapter 37
Serenity
I STRETCHED OUT ON MY stomach and scratched Penelope and Franklin’s heads as they lounged on the fuzzy gray blanket beside me. I’d been playing with them on the bedroom floor while Dante read over the latest chapter of my work in progress over the video call.
It was surreal how this story was flowing out of me. Maybe it was because I loved the plot and characters so much that it just came easy. Whatever the reason, I was already halfway through it after only a month of writing. Every spare moment I had was used for adding to the romantic and dark tale—during work between client meetings and reports, during my lunch break, or from the time I got to Dante’s to the time we went to sleep.
Sleep was even better now, too. Much to Dante’s low grumblings, Penelope and Franklin loved joining us on the king-size bed. They tried sleeping between Dante and I, and while he agreed to letting them sleep with us, he refused to let them in between us. So they slept above our heads. He acted like he didn’t like it, but the demon still built them steps up the side of the bed to make it easier for them. That memory made me grin.
“Fuck, this is so good,” Dante declared over the laptop screen.
He wore a tight black leather vest, which showed off his muscular shoulders. His dark, tattooed arm bulged where itdraped across the back of the couch he sat on. His black hair was perfect, and his piercings completed the sexy look.
“I love Ember and Krail from your dragon trilogy,” he told me. “But this one is something else. And I’m not just saying that because this one is a demon romance.”
I merrily kicked my feet behind me. “Really? You think it’s good so far?”
“It’s fucking amazing!”
