Page 118 of Wallflower

I shook my head. "Nope. They completely overlooked you, sorry."

"Didn't look that way to me," he said.

"They may have said something about the hot guy in the front row," I admitted.

He took my hand, looking down as he played with my fingers. It sent little jolts of electricity running along my skin.

"And did you tell them I was yours?"

"I may have," I said softly.

Dare looked into my eyes. "Good."

My breath caught at that, but he smiled.

"Your uncles are all staring at me like they want to rip my guts out right now."

My jaw dropped, but as I looked over I could see that he wasn't that far off. Dad was sitting there talking with his older brothers (all four of them), and they all looked ready to come right over at the slightest sign of trouble. I rolled my eyes and threw them a smile and a wave.Everything's okay guys. You can relax.

"They're just protective of all of us kids," I said. "Don't take it personal."

"Oh, I don't," he said. "So, are you ready to play and bring the house down?"

"I'm pretty nervous."

"You're going to be great, flower," he said and brushed a kiss to my hand. "I know it."

My cheeks went hot, but I gave him a nod.

"I'll try my best," I said, trying to control my pulse. "How was Professor Snape when you left?"

"Grumpy as always," Dare said with a fond smile.

He'd taken me up on my suggestion and adopted Professor Snape. Though when I asked Paris about it, she said Dare had asked her about Snape way before that, when he'd first started at the shelter. Apparently, Dare had loved Snape from the start. And now, both he and Hermione had their forever homes. Whenever I went over to Dare's or he came over to my house, they got to see each other for playdates—though Hermione did most of the playing while Snape just pretended to ignore her.

"Do you think they'd kill me if I kissed you right now?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said.

"I'm finding it pretty hard to hold back. You look so pretty, flower."

I glanced up at him from beneath my lashes. "Thank you, Mr. Darcy. So do you."

He groaned. "Man, are you ever going to stop it with that?"

"Nope, never," I said. "That's your name after all. And you insist on calling me flower, though I've asked you not to."

"You love it," he said.

I did.

I shrugged. "Plus, Varcy is a better couple name than any of the others. Don't you think?"

"Vida," he said.

"What?" I asked.

"It's our couple name," Dare said and moved a bit closer. "Vida. It means 'life'. And you definitely changed mine. For the better, flower."

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