Page 87 of Looking Grimm

She waved him off, then stabbed her finger at me. “Be good to him. I already know he’ll be good to you.”

I nodded again, more fervently.

Her stern expression wavered as her green eyes welled with tears. She snuffled a breath. “Damn it, I swore I wouldn’t cry.”

Nash broke away from me to give her hug. She broke away quickly, fanning her face and blinking.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” She shoved him back. “Just stay outof trouble, all right? Both of you.”

Nash kissed her temple and gave one last squeeze around her shoulders. “You sure you don’t wanna tag along?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Three’s a crowd, but I’ll visit. Soon.”

He seemed to accept that and resituated his fingers between mine. “You ready?”

The sun was bright and gold, painting him in colors that looked like the nearest thing to hope. At the roadside, the Woody Wagon waited and, ahead of it, the city gate was open to me for the first time in my life. Freedom lay beyond it in the form of a cozy cabin in the woods. After that, maybe we’d find a house in the suburbs with a white picket fence and live out the goddamn American dream.

I didn’t breathe for a long moment, feeling the breeze on my cheeks and the soft press of Nash’s palm against mine.

Finally, I looked at him and swallowed down my nerves long enough to reply, “I’m ready.”

THE END

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