Page 78 of Sweet Poison

Mom makes a sound, like she’s choking, as I watch her wipe a tear from her cheek. “Has this happened before Willow?” She sounds like she’s breaking inside.

I nod, feeling embarrassed.

“Fuck,” Daddy whispers harshly. He looks lost, like he doesn’t know how to fix this.

“Baby girl,” mommy croaks, as if in pain. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

I don’t know what to say. I reach up, my fingers brushing Daddy’s hairy cheeks, trying to calm the storm I can see in his eyes. “Their words hurt me,” I whisper. “And if I told you, I was afraid you’d hurt too.”

Mom’s pretty face crumples as she pulls me closer, brushing a hand through my hair. She holds my hand in hers, her touch gentle, and kisses my palm. “No, my baby,” she says, her tone laced with sadness but also love. “You tell us everything. Mommy and Daddy can handle it. It’s our job to protect you. Always.”

I manage a small smile, nodding in understanding. “Okay.” But I don’t feel okay but for them I can pretend.

Mommy smiles through her tears, her lips trembling. “One day the world will be kinder to souls like you and me, Willow. You’ll see.” She says it like she believes it. “If not then, Daddy will burn it down.” Mommy laughs softly, trying to lighten the moment.

Daddy chuckles darkly, his voice scary, but there’s no humor in it. “I will.”

I know my daddy would do anything for me and mommy. He’s our superhero.

Mommy touches my face, pushing another curl away from my forehead. “Now let’s go, baby.”

I frown. “But classes aren’t over.”

“They are for today,” Mommy says, but there’s something in her voice that sounds like a lie. I know she’s trying to protect me.

“Where are we going then?”

Dad grins, his eyes sparkling. “First we’ll get ice cream,” he says, “and then I’m buying you the whole damn toy store.”

Mommy laughs, and I smile just for them. My parents always know just what to say, what to do to make me feel better, even if it’s only for a minute.

But as much as they tried to shield me from the world, they couldn’t keep it from hurting my heart again. The laughter didn’t stop. The teasing continued. The kids still whispered behind my back, still called me names— because of my voice, or because Daddy started sending me to school with bodyguards, like I was a target. It all made me feel like I was broken, something to be pointed at.

It got so bad that I had to transfer schools more than once, but even in new places, the cruelty followed me, like a shadow I couldn’t shake. I stopped talking altogether. I started hiding behind silence, because it hurt less than words did. It felt safer to just disappear into the background.

Mom used to say that one day the world would be kinder, that people would see me for who I was, not for the sound of my voice. But one day never came. Not until him.

I can shakeanother thing off from my bucket list because of him— because of Madden.

The vibrant colors of the lanterns reflect in the water as I stand beside Madden, the cool breeze gently tugging at my hair.

This night feels magical and it has just started. Around us, laughter and music fill the night with joy, blending with the soft whispers of the lake. But all I can feel is Madden's strong presence, his large body close to mine.

His tattooed hand brushes against mine, sending a flutter through my stomach as we walk. I glance at him with a smile on my face as he looks at the colorful lanterns with a skeptical expression, his full lips pressed together in that adorable way he does when he’s trying to hide his curiosity.

“I can’t believe you’ve never heard of this before.” I tease softly, trying to hide my smile at his grumpiness.

He glances over at me, then back at the lanterns, raising a dark brow. “This isn't something I’m interested in, Wild One,” he grumbles, but there’s softness in his tone that betrays him. He looks around at the crowds, as if counting the seconds until he can get out of here, but there’s something about the way he’s looking at the lanterns that makes me think he’s not as uninterested as he’s pretending to be. “So, what’s this all about?”

I laugh, the sound light, I can’t help it— the grinch attitude is part of his charm. I meet his eyes, feeling butterflies in my stomach as the soft light of the lanterns reflects in his dark gaze. “The water lantern festival is a celebration of hope and wishes,”I say, my voice a little quieter, as if sharing a secret. “You write your wishes on paper lanterns and release them into the water. It’s a way for us to send our hopes and dreams into the universe.”

He scoffs, but there’s something adorable about the way he scrunches his brow. “Seriously? Just like that? You’re telling me these people think floating paper lanterns are going to change their lives and grant them wishes?”

I laugh softly, shaking my head. “Don’t be rude! Besides, it’s not about that. It’s more symbolic. It makes them feel better. They let go of their worries, releasing them into the world. It’s about the feeling of having hope, even when everything feels dark and ugly.”

Madden watches me for a long moment, his arms crossed, looking more like the grinch with each passing second. The man really is so stubborn. “And how exactly does that work? Is there a wish-granting fairy ready to catch the lanterns in the water?”

I roll my eyes and grin. “Just write something meaningful, light it, and watch it float away.” I hand him a lantern and a red marker. “It won’t kill you, you know.”

---