Page 141 of Crazy Thing

Doubtful, I look him over for bruises. Thankfully, I don’t find any visible injuries.

And I don’t waste another second. I start pouring out my soul. “I love you so much, Darius.” I throw myself against his chest. “I’m so sorry for—”

“You don’t have shoes on,” he interrupts.

I look down, shaking my head. “It’s fine. I’m trying to tell you that I’m sorry for being so stubborn and—”

“But your feet are bleeding,” he urges, pointing at the blood pooling between my toes.

“It doesn’t matter.” I reach out, gripping his face and making him look me in the eye. “No interrupting. Darius, listen please.”

A weak smile touches his lips. “I’m listening.”

I continue. “I need you to know that I’m sorry. I’ve been such a fucking asshole. I hurt you when all you were trying to do was love me. I can’t let my fear win anymore. I can’t continue to hide behind it as a shield. I’m willing to let go of my excuses so I can be with you. I can’t live without you anymore. Do you…? Can you forgive me? Can you still love me?”

He’s fallen silent now. He keeps slowly shaking his head, and it’s making me nervous.

Then his hands come up to cover my own and he searches my gaze. “Of course I still love you.”

“You do?” I ask, my voice cracking.

“Yes, I love you. I am spellbound. Enchanted. Bewitched.” Darius kisses my palm and then my cheek and then the tip of my nose. “I hope you’re happy, Ziggy Beaumont, because I’m all fucked up over you. And you know what the worst part is?”

I bite my lip. “What?”

“I don’t want to break the curse. I am so fucking in lovewith you. Tie me up and toss me in your dungeon. I’m yours.”

A shaky giggle breaks free from my chest. “I don’t have a dungeon. I live in a school bus.”

His palm smacks the curve of my behind. He’s fighting a grin, I can tell. “Can you not be a smartass right now? I’m pouring my guts out here, and my chest is pounding so hard, I think I’m gonna be sick.”

I laugh, shaking my head and cupping his face. “Go ahead.”

“I need you to forgive me too,” he commands me, “for how I handled the waterfall thing. I’m sorry. I just wanted you to trust me and I went about it in the worst possible way. I’m a complete idiot.”

My eyebrows furrow. “Are you serious? I’m in the wrong here. And you’ve been so patient with me. And all I did was put up walls. In trying to protect myself, all I did was hurt you over and over again. I’m so sorry. I’m so, so, so sorry.”

He strokes my cheekbones with his thumbs. “Please stop apologizing, Fairy Girl. I’m just sorry about all the bad decisions I made that caused you to doubt whether you could trust me to begin with.”

“I want us to move past it all.” My gaze drops to his chest. I hesitate. “But can I be honest?”

His Adam’s apple bobs. “Be honest.”

“I’m still fucking terrified,” I admit. “Sometimes my insecurities get the best of me and it’s hard to believe all this is real. Plus, my horoscope says—”

He shuts me up, smacking his lips against mine. “I don’t care what your horoscope says.Isay you’re mine. End of story.”

I giggle. “Even though I’m an alien weirdo human?”

“You’re abeautifulalien weirdo human. And yup—you’re mine.”

“I want to be yours.” I wrap my arms around him, pressing my cheek to his collarbone.

“And all I want is for you to let me love you.” He kisses my forehead. “Do you have any idea how much I want you to let me love you, Ziggy? It would be the honor of a lifetime.”

“Love me, Darius Brighton. Go right ahead and love me.”

He grins so wide it makes his eyes crinkle at the corners. “My beautiful alien fairy goddess human. I love you. I’m all in.”

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