Page 89 of Unclench Me Softly

He leans in a little more.

I don’t move away, because I want to see what he does next.

And what he does is kiss me. Soft. Quick. But real.

A moment that doesn’t ask permission, but still feels like a question.

And when he pulls back, eyes wide like maybe he didn’t expect it either, all I can say is, “Well. That complicates the fire ceremony.”

He smiles again, and I hate how much I like it. “I’ll rewrite the ending,” he murmurs and leaves.

I’m still reeling from the fact that Miles kissed me after writing a farewell letter to his inner capitalist dictator, when the dome flap flutters again.

It’s not Miles returning for a round two thesis kiss.

No. It’s Toad with a package under one arm and his usual aura of unfiltered apathy.

He grunts. “Delivery.”

I blink. “From who?”

He jerks his head toward the edge of the retreat. “Said not to tell you until you open it.”

That’s never a good sign.

He drops the box on my table and walks out like he’s just delivered spiritual contraband.

I stare at the package and then open it.

Inside there are boxes. Six of them. Labeled in tidy handwriting: The Flame of Inner Liberation – Bonfire Night Tools™

There are custom matchbooks, each one unique, tucked in velvet, and labeled with names.

Jax’s says “Burn with fury, rebuild with joy.”

Seb’s is black with silver foil that reads “Let silence be the spark.”

Jonah’s is plain. Just “Truth is heat.”

Miles’s has a minimalist sketch of a key on fire.

Mine is gold. Etched with “You carry the fire, even when you don’t believe in it.”

I sit down. Hard.

There’s a note tucked beneath mine in Asher’s handwriting:

I thought we should all have something real to light it with. Something that reminds us why we’re here. I hope yours reminds you, too.

I hate him.

I love him.

I want to spiritually sob into his shirt while he explains my own inner purpose to me in footnotes.

I place the matches beside the fig bowl, stare at them, and whisper to the universe, “They’re unionizing again. And I’m not ready.”

Your Favorite Aftercare Snack & What It Says About Your Attachment Style

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