Norris was seething so hard, he was making sputtering sounds like a boiled-dry tea kettle. His big hands clenched as if he wished he had them around the cheating toad’s neck. “Do you know where he lives?”
"I do now. I didn't at the time, or my brothers would have gotten my sofa back. But I got to know the Defenders because they got their coffee at the café I was working at then, and they retrieved my sofa.”
“Oh, good,” said Norris. “Though I feel like a little more revenge might be in order.”
Annabeth loved how mad he was, and she did still want revenge. But she also didn’t want Norris to spend the holidays in jail. “I don’t want you getting arrested on my behalf. Don’t do anything that’ll end with you in jail.”
“Yeah, jail is not great,” he said reluctantly. “All right. I won’t if you really don’t want me to.”
“I don’t,” she said firmly. “Anyway, it completely ruined winter holidays for me. I have terrible associations with them now. Every time I see a Santa hat, I think of that toad. Naked and cheating. In MY bed! I had to get rid of the bed and get a new one, which I really couldn’t afford. Every time I hear holiday music, I think of him laughing at me! Every time I see gifts, I think of picking Andrew’s present off that bare floor in an empty apartment. And so forth. To be honest, I'm even dreading spending Christmakkalistice with my family. I hate that he ruined something I used to love, and I hate that I can’t just get over it no mater how hard I try."
To her horror, she burst into tears.
Crying on the second date,she thought.Even worse than telling bitter stories about exes on the second—
Norris swept her into his arms. He didn’t pat her on the back or tell her everything would be fine. He just held her, sharing his warmth and strength and...
...love?
It was too soon for love. Right? But that was sure what it felt like.
She leaned her head against his shoulder and let herself cry without worrying about breaking the rules or being judged. It was a relief and a release, and when she finally wiped her eyes and straightened up, she didn’t worry about her eyes being red or her nose running or anything like that. Norris had nothing in his deep brown gaze but sympathy and...
Itdidlook like love.
“I’m so, so sorry that happened to you.” His voice was low, his breath warm on her throat. “And I’m going to think of some way to get revenge that won’t land me in jail, if you don’t mind.”
Annabeth managed a smile. “Go for it.”
“And I’d also like to try to bring you back some holiday happiness.”
“Oh, Norris.” She ran her fingers through his brown hair, then cupped his cheek in her hand. “You have. You are absolutely the best thing that’s happened to me this year. Or ever, actually.”
She blurted it out without thinking. Her mind instantly said,Too soon!But her heart said,It’s true.
“You’redefinitelythe best thing that’s ever happened to me,” said Norris. And one look into his deep brown eyes told her he meant it. “And the thing that’s now the second-best is very, very hard to top.”
“Oh?” Her eyebrows arched. “Swimming with dolphins? Scuba diving at a coral reef?”
“Better than anything you can possibly guess,” he said with enormous confidence. “And I think if I show it to you, it’ll give you some more good holiday experiences.”
Show me?Annabeth thought. “Sure, go for it.”
Norris glanced around, and she followed his gaze. No one was there. “Hang on. I have to step back.”
He backed away, grinning. And then his grin was suddenly the vast, gape-mouthed, triangle-toothed grin of a Dunkleosteus.
She stared at the enormous bulk of the prehistoric fish that lay on the grass where Norris used to be. The Dunkleosteus flapped its fins, waggled its tail, and opened and closed its jaws in what she couldn’t help reading as a wordless “Hi there!”
“Amazing,” Annabeth breathed. “Norris... That is you, right?”
The Dunkleosteus gave as much of a nod as it could manage without a neck, then flapped its fins again.
“Wow!” The Dunkleosteus deserved something much more articulate, but Annabeth was unoriginal with awe. “WOW! I can’t believe it! You can turn into a Dunkleosteus! Magic is real! I’m getting to see a Dunkleosteus! This is incredible!”
Norris flapped his fins and blinked his enormous eyes and heaved himself around so she could get a better view of more parts of him. She touched his side, marveling. She was actually touching a real, live Dunkleosteus—a Dunkleosteus who was also the greatest guy she’d ever met. Her heart and mind were united at last.
This is great,sang out her heart.
