Page 76 of Sweet Poison

As our gazes lock, the world around us begins to fade—the laughter and chatter of the guests in the distance slipping away like a distant memory, leaving only the beat of our hearts. The stars in the night sky seem to shine brighter for us. I can’t look away, even if I wanted to. Every part of me is drawn to this man, this moment, and I know by the way he’s looking at me, that he feels it too.

Pushing my fears aside, I lean in closer, my heart racing with anticipation. Madden’s darken, his breath catching in his throat. The anticipation thickens, swirling like the waves at shore I’m both terrified of and craving with every fiber of my being.

It’s beautiful and electric.

And then, when I can’t resist the magnetic pull any longer, I press my lips to his and kiss him softly. The kiss is tentative at first. Just the gentle brush of lips as I try to save the taste and feel of him in my memory.

A second passes before Madden responds, deepening the kiss while his hands find my waist and pull me down to the grass. God, he tastes heavenly. I can taste the remnants of the alcohol, mixed with something raw, pure and real. It makes me feel hotall over until I start to feel an ache between my thighs that only he can make go away.

But then when the kiss turns wild and hot, he pulls pack, resting his forehead against mine, “Fuck, baby,” he breathes, sounding regretful. “Not like this.” Then he pulls all the way back and presses a kiss to my forehead. “Not with you.”

And just like that, this moment feels like a miracle.

Madden has lowered the walls he spent years building up and let me inside his heart and soul.

Now that I’m there… Now that he has let me in, there’s a part of me, a fragile whisper in the back of my mind, that fears the day I won’t be. The thought of losing him again—this sweet, broken, beautiful man— feels like the kind of hurt I could never recover from.

But even so, I hold onto him. I hold onto him like he’s a part of me. I hold onto so tight hoping I can make this moment last forever and I whisper to the stars above to let me keep him. Even if it’s only for a little while, let me have him. If I can’t have forever with him… let me have him just for this Christmas.

Chapter

Twenty-Three

A HOLIDAY WISH

Willow

Past

“My jolly grinch. How I’ve missed you.”- W

Istand in front of my classmates, clutching my favorite mushroom squishy in both hands. It’s bright pink with little white spots, and it smells like the candy my dad buys me—sweet and warm, just like his hugs when he tells me everything will be okay. My heart is thumping in my chest, like it’s trying to escape, but I take a deep breath and smile wide.

You can do it, angel girl… there’s nothing you can’t do. My mommy’s voice plays in my head as I gather my courage to present in front of the class.

“H-Hi, e-everyone! This is my mushroom!” I say, my voice bubbling up, too loud and a little high-pitched.

I see some of the kids snicker, and my smile falters. I don’t know why they’re laughing. Maybe they don’t like my plushy.I clutch it tighter, trying to find comfort in it, but the weird feeling in my stomach only gets deeper.

“I won it at the arcade,” I whisper. “My daddy?—”

They laugh some more and one boy points at me making weird faces.

“Shh! Kids!” Ms. Lila snaps her fingers, and the laughter quiets down. She sounds mad— mad and sad. I just want to show them my mushroom. I didn’t mean to make her sad or mad.

I take a deep breath, but my heart still feels heavy. “I— I love it,” I add, my voice shaking, and this time it cracks. The kids start whispering to each other again, their heads turning, their eyes darting between me and my plushie, and it feels like they’re laughing at me. They are always laughing at me but I don’t know why.

“Stop it!” Ms. Lila says, and she sounds angry. I just want to disappear. I press my plushie to my chest, and tears start to sting my eyes.

“Why are you crying?” a girl whispers, but I can’t answer. I shake my head, trying to hold it all in, but the tears keep falling. My heart feels like it’s breaking into tiny pieces at my feet while my classmates laugh at me.

I just wanted to share my favorite thing with them.

Ms. Lila kneels down in front of me, her eyes softening as she gently wipes the tears from my cheeks. “Hey, Willow, it’s okay,” she says, her voice calm and warm. “Let’s step outside for a moment.”

I nod, my chest tightens, my heart still pounding. She takes my hand, her fingers gentle and we walk out of the classroom. The sounds of cruel giggles fade behind us, replaced by the rush of blood in my ears.

When we reach the hallway, it's quieter. Ms. Lila stops and crouches in front of me, her eyes sad but kind. “I’m reallysorry about what happened there,” she says. “Sometimes kids just don’t understand. But you did a great job with your presentation, Willow. You should feel so proud! I love your pink mushroom.”

---