Page 21 of Love & Heart Braking

Fury pulsed through me.

Panic.

Cold fear.

Hopelessness.

I bunched my fists by my sides and stormed up to Devereaux. “How do I calm down when I love you?”

He reeled back.

“Tell me that,” I shouted.

Crack!

Seasoned in cracking noises of this nature, I threw my arms overhead. Devereaux cursed loudly and lunged forward, wrapping me in his arms. Bursting out of the collapsing pergola, he rolled us in the air, landing on his shoulder, and caging me until we came to a standstill in the surrounding grass.

Pushing up against his chest, I looked back.

The roof of the pergola had collapsed directly over where I’d stood a few seconds ago.

Love nearly killed me.

Literally.

I freed myself, kneeling on the grass. I pushed sopping hair off my face, blinking up at him through the torrential rain as he rose to his knees too.

Devereaux gripped my chin.

My words filled the space between us.

I’d never told a man that I loved him. I said the words all the time to other people, friends and cupids, my grandparents and parents when they were around. But I’d never declared love like this.

I’d yelled at the guy like a crazy person. All those things I’d felt—the panic and fury—I only felt those things because I loved Devereaux. My cheeks burned for an entirely different reason now. I averted my gaze. “We haven’t gone on a date. That was a weird thing to say.”

“Look at me, Cerys.”

I forced myself to meet his cool gray gaze. “I’m sorry for yelling at you. The thought of you getting hurt really upsets me. And saying goodbye to you upset me too.”

“Smile or yell,” he murmured as though to himself. “Laugh or cry.” Devereaux sucked in a breath, his gray eyes heating. “Since knowing you, Cerys Concordia, I’ve discovered it doesn’t really matter what you do. It only matters that you’re the one doing it.” Rain dripped from the ends of his black hair, rolling off his leather jacket.

I had to look like a drowned rat right now, and he just looked like dripping sexiness.

Devereaux released his hold. “I love you, too, Cerys. I don’t know how it happened. Or when. Just that I feel it now.”

Joy burned in my chest hotter even than when my bow first appeared. I rested my trembling hands either side of his jaw, chest rising. “You love me?”

“Only very.” His wide smile echoed mine.

I lifted his hand to my cheek and closed my eyes at the feel of his hot skin. His exhale stuttered as he brushed his thumb over my cheekbone, then rolled a strand of my wet hair between his fingers.

Crack!

This one was more distant. I peered around, but Devereaux was already swinging me into his arms.

With a sound like thunder, one of the oak trees—very likely an ancient oak tree—crashed to the ground where we’d just sat.

“The curse really isn’t happy,” I said when he’d set me down.

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