I scowl. “Picturesof him are decoration,” I teach. “Cardboard cut-outs are decoration. The man himself? Not decoration.Also, you were supposed to bring those to me.”
“Are you saying the real thing isn’t as pretty as the pictures?” He takes in Archie, who watches us with amusement.
My eyes narrow. “Take that back.”
He shrugs. “You’re the one who said it.”
“Idid not,” I hiss, leaning toward him. “Take it back.”
“Ah, ah, ah.” He wags a finger at me. “That’s not very grace, peace, and love of you. And in this, the family meeting room! I’m appalled.”
“Archie, my knight,” I ask, baring my teeth at my younger brother.
“Yes, my love?” he replies, mirth undercutting his words.
“Do you think I could use the basement?”
Archie barks a laugh as he digs a hand into my hair, twisting me to face him. Mischievous eyes close in.
Notably, he does not answer.
He does, however, decide to cash in an IOU, falling to his knees to embrace me and send Fred fleeing for safer ground.
“You’re right,” I pant between kisses. “This is way better than torturing Fred in the basement.”
He chuckles. “Probably more traumatizing for him, too.”
I grin. “Only one way to find out.”
He bursts into laughter, but does not concede to letting me torture my brother in the basement to test his hypothesis. A pity.
I’d pout about it, but Archie’s lips hit mine again, and all thought flees at his sunflower taste on my tongue.
I relax into him, letting go of my tension and anxieties until all that’s left is him, and me, and and a future full of fairytale kisses and love.
Chapter Twenty-Five
?
Archie
Sarelia and I stand together on the porch watching as dust settles on the gravel drive while her parents’ car disappears in the distance.
“I wasn’t looking forward to them coming,” she says. “But I’m not exactly happy to see them go, either.”
I kiss her cheek, then rest my head against hers. “They’ll be back,” I reply. “If not for us, then for more of Rosie’s cake.”
She huffs what could be considered a laugh, if it didn’t slide into tears at the end.
“Sweet Sarelia,” I coo, twisting her into my arms. “It’s going to be okay.”
“Feelings are stupid,” she whimpers. “I’d like to unsubscribe.”
“Then how will you feel the depth of your love for me?” I tsk. “No, no, better you keep them.”
“Then what am I to do with all of the feelings that aren’t related to you?” she asks wetly, throwing an arm out behind her. “Like how much I miss them already and how much it sucks that they’re finally learning and I’ll hardly get to see it at all?”
Ah. She has forgotten.
