Page 121 of Even in the Dark

“I’m gonna play that game ’till I get you Rainbow Dash, then.”

“It doesn’t have to be Rainbow Dash.”

He pulls me in with a muscular arm and kisses me slowly. Gently. “I’m getting you Rainbow Dash if I have to play that thing until midnight.”

I grin. “Well, I’ve got no other plans.”

“You do now.”

We spend three hours at the arcade. Acting like a couple of ten-year-olds. We eat sundaes for dinner and sour gummies for dessert. Promise ourselves we’re not leaving until we’ve played every single game at least once. Except for the claw machine with the My Little Pony stuffies. Dylan plays that one for twenty minutes straight. Right until the guy by the cash calls out to us that they’re closing.

“Just give me five more minutes!” Dylan calls back, his face concentrated on directing the claw directly over the one Rainbow Dash that’s in the far corner, her hind legs tucked beneath two Applejacks and a Twilight Sparkle. I know he’s spent at least twenty dollars on tickets playing this silly game.

The guy gives him five more minutes, and Dylan gets another Applejack. Then the guy turns out the lights. “Time to go, folks! My shift’s done and I want to get home to my girl.”

I squeeze Dylan’s hand to reassure him in the sudden darkness. There’s still a light on by the counter, so I don’t think this bothers him too much, though.

“Shit, Scarr,” he says, and I can barely make out the motion of his arm coming up to rub the back of his neck. “I’m sorry. I wanted to get you Rainbow Dash.”

“Seriously? Look at this awesome pony collection! I’m the happiest girl alive right now. I don’t care about Rainbow Dash.”

It was just a symbolic thing—because of the slap bracelet, and the comic he got me. The way Rainbow Dash has kind of become my “thing”, now that it means more than just a cartoon I liked as a kid.

“I’m really sorry.” He kisses me.

My lips smile against his. I think I’m in love with this guy.

Oh my God…I think I’m in love with Dylan Braun.

It should feel scary and huge, and mess with my head. Because, until a few months ago, I swore I would never let myself care about another boy ever again—let alone fall in love with one. Only it doesn’t feel like any of those things. It just feels… warm and exciting andright.Even if I know Dylan is nowhere near the point of confessing his own love for me—that he’s still grappling with what the concept of love even means. I don’t care about any of that right now. It’s part of who he is. Loving Dylan just means I want to be by his side while he figures it all out. And that I’m happy to have him by my side while I figure out my own way forward. I don’t need him to tell me that he loves me to know he has feelings for me. That he truly cares. Because he shows it in other ways.

“Thank you,” he says, his voice low and quiet, lips still pressed against mine. “For an amazing day.”

In ways like that. And in the way that his warm mouth brushes against my cheek, his lip ring skimming my sensitive skin. And the way he places a gentle kiss just beneath my temple, then rests his chin on my shoulder. Holds me close. Whispers, “today was perfect,” so softly I know the words are meant just for me.

Eventually we pull apart and I go get the car and wait out front for Dylan while he runs to the washroom before the hour drive home. He strides out a few minutes later, his blond waves blowing lightly in the wind and his eyes that emerald shade of green that means he’s happy, head tilted a little to the side, lips ticked up in a devilish smile… and Rainbow Dash held up proudly against his chest.

I jump out of the car and run around to where he’s standing, letting out an honest to God squeal. “You got her!” I hug him tightly, squishing Rainbow Dash between us. “How did you get her?”

“Paid that guy at the counter twenty bucks to open the machine and get it for me.”

“You paid twenty bucks to get her?” I take my new stuffie from him, inspecting her from every angle. “You didn’t have to do that. I was totally happy with my harem of other ponies.”

He shakes his head. “No, you weren’t.”

“I was.”

“Liar,” he says. “It was about more than the stuffie.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yeah, I do.” He leans in, brushes a lock of hair from my cheek and tucks it behind my ear, poking at his lip ring with the tip of his tongue. Then he places a kiss on my lips like it’s another gift. “Because I see you Scarlett Thiels,” he whispers. “Even in the dark.”

Thank you so much for reading Scarlett and Dylan's story. I hope you enjoyed it! Keep reading for a sneak peak and the first two chapters of Maggie & Xavier's story, EVEN BENEATH THE STARS.

Find out what happens when fiery thrift-store queen Maggie moves in to billionaire playboy Xavier's mansion to work as a part-time nanny for his little brother. Maggie's mission? To establish some ground rules and consistency for five-year-old Finn. Xavier's mission? To make her quit. But what happens when the battle turns into something else entirely? A swoony upper YA enemies to lovers romance.

?? One-Click EVEN BENEATH THE STARS now!

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