Page 97 of Embers in the Dark

He shakes his head, his gaze on my face as he glides his hands to my hips.

I move my hands through his ginger hair and he closes his eyes. I savor how much I love touching him beneath myfingertips. Then I bring my face inches away from his. “Tucker Malloy, I’ve loved you since the moment I understood the meaning of the word. And I’ll love you as strongly on my last day on this Earth. Nothing will change that. There’s nothing about loving you that would hold me back. If anything, you’re helping me soar. So, yes, I want to make this official. I want to reach further with you by my side.”

He beams a brilliant smile at me and it’s hard not to smile back. Unexpectedly, he grabs my hips and flips me onto my back. “Baylee, you’re everything I never knew I needed.” He drops a kiss to my lips and it feels like home the moment I feel him against me.

He pulls away and whispers, “I love you more than I could’ve imagined, Firefly.”

“I love you,” I say back then capture his lips again. Everything I could’ve hoped for is finally coming true with this man I dreamed of—with this man I’ve loved for so long.

Boston has done us dirty right before Thanksgiving. Damn this cold front that’s come in; the windchill alone can be felt down to the bone.

As soon as I open the door to the sandwich shop, I’m instantly assaulted by the warmth and relieved to be inside rather than outside with the rest of the pedestrians. I wore so many layers, and yet I swear it feels like I’m in a short-sleeve shirt. If this is just November, what will mid-January feel like?

“Bay, over here,” my brother calls from the corner table he sits in. I look over and the smile he’s sporting looks too casual for someone that should feel like shit for the way he treated his ex-best friend.

He gets up to greet me with a bear hug. He wraps his arms around me, but I don’t return the gesture.

“It’s so great to see you,” he says, unfazed by my stiffness.

I take my seat, still defrosting from the cold outside, rubbing my hands together. I’m about to greet Danny half-heartedly when our server prances to the table.

“Hi. I’m Penzy. Is there anything I can get you to drink?” She smiles wide at me.

What a unique name. I look at her name tag to see if I misheard her. Nope. It’s actually Penzy. Interesting.

“What a unique name.” I smile up at her. “I’ll take a hot tea please.”

“You got it.” She smiles wide.

“I thought it was a different name too,” my brother says after she walks away. The moment he speaks, my smile drops. He notices the change in my mood and clears his throat.

“Thanks for accepting my invite to meet for lunch.” He rearranges his utensils. He finally looks uncomfortable. Good. He’s been an absolute ass and needs to figure his shit out.

“Well, I wouldn’t have come. Tucker convinced me to,” I say, looking at my nails like I have better places to be.

“Really? Why?” He sounds surprised.

Because he’s a better person than either of us, you asshole,I think to myself.

“Danny, why am I here? I have studying to get to and Thanksgiving food to prep,” I say with little emotion in my voice.

“Here.” He passes me a gift.

“What’s this?” I look at it, puzzled.

“A gift.” He chuckles.

“No shit.” I roll my eyes. “Why?”

“It’s your birthday tomorrow, Bay,” he reminds me, as if I don’t know.

“I know it is. Why are you giving me something?” I’m stunned, my brother usually doesn’t go out of his way to gift me anything. He’s usually giving me something randomly when he sees me weeks after my birthday and it’s never the size of a jewelry box. Last year he got me a sweatshirt twosizes too big for me and it wasn’t even the style I’d ever wear. I’m convinced an ex-girlfriend left it behind.

“Well, I got you something special and I wanted to give it to you. Open it,” he insists.

I roll my eyes once again because it’s uncontrollable around siblings, and unwrap the ribbon. I pull off the lid and reveal a gold paperclip necklace with my initials dangling off it.

“I went to the store and she said it’s all the rage right now. You can switch out the charms, but I thought you’d like the initials—you know, B and R.” He looks so proud.

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