Page 137 of Pick Me Up On Tuesdays

Then finally—at me again.

“What’s going on, Clark?” he asked softly.

I stepped forward.

The elf raised a glowing hand, ready to bind me in vines or justice or both.

But I didn’t care.

I looked Ethan in the eye, the weight of his gaze sending a storm through me. My heart was thundering in my chest, doing flips like it had been caught in a carnival ride. My hands were cold, my ears hot—everything inside me felt out of sync, but in the best way possible.

And then, with a breath that felt like it might be my last, I said it. Clearer than I’d ever said anything in my life.

“I want to be your mate, stupid.”

For a moment, there was nothing but silence. The world held its breath.

Ethan blinked, and for a second, I thought I’d miscalculated. Joy made a noise somewhere between a gasp and a squeak, and Shun just stood there, shocked and waiting as curious as me for the next word from Ethan.

And Ethan?

He stared at me, still as stone, and then—he laughed.

“You break into my house,” he said, his voice thick with that same laugh, “get chased by my elf, wake me up by throwing a rock at my face—and then you confess you want to be my mate?”

“Technically, the rock hit the frame,” I muttered, trying to save a shred of dignity.

Ethan chuckled again, a soft, warm sound that made my stomach flip. “You’re ridiculous.”

I nodded, almost too proud to admit it. “Yup.”

“And brave,” he added, his gaze never leaving mine. His eyes were so intense, they felt like they could see right through me.

I shrugged, trying to play it cool. “Working on it.”

Then, he closed the space between us, moving with purpose, until he was standing so close that the heat from his body brushed against mine. I could feel every inch of him, the pull of his presence drawing me in like gravity itself.

He stopped, just a breath away, his chest rising and falling in time with mine.

“Say it again,” he murmured, his voice low, almost a whisper, but it wrapped around me like a shroud.

“What?” I breathed, the words barely escaping my lips.

“That thing,” he said, his hand reaching out, fingers brushing gently against my cheek—so light, like a whisper of touch that sent a current of electricity through my skin. “The mate thing.”

I swallowed, every part of me trembling, then gathered the courage to say it again.

“I want to be your mate—”

Before I could finish it, I felt it—his lips against mine.

His lips were warm, impossibly soft, and the moment they touched mine, I felt it in my soul—a connection that was ancient and undeniable. His hand slid from my cheek to my neck, pulling me closer, the touch of his fingers sending sparks through my skin.

My hands moved to his chest, feeling the solid warmth of him, the rhythm of his heartbeat pounding beneath his skin like a drum against my palm, matching mine. It was a kiss that wasn’t just a kiss—it was everything. It was the entire world shrinking to this one moment, this one breath, this one shared beat of our hearts.

Joy screamed, but it was distant—almost like it didn’t matter, like the only thing that mattered was this.

Shun applauded once, a sharp clap that cut through the air, but even she couldn’t hide the smirk curling on her lips.

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