Page 67 of Acceptance

“Can you just give me an honest answer? Will you think less of me?”

Lex sighs and shifts to lean forward, crossing her legs, and she shakes her head with a laugh. “Venom, I have always known Marnie was the one you wanted. She needed to prove herself to you. Only you can decide if she’s done enough to trust again.”

“But you won’t shun her or anything?”

“Boy, who do you think helped her come up with ideas for that gift basket? You think she just knew your favorite beer and chips? And who do you think let her into your apartment?”

It never crossed his mind to wonder how Marnie was able to leave the gifts for him. He was too overcome with the sentimental emotions tied to it. And then Cinder lost her damn mind, so he didn’t have much time to think much about the logistics.

“You helped her?”

“You remember when she came to talk to me after you told me she was in Griffin’s Beach?” She waits for him to nod before continuing. “She asked me what I needed for us to be good. I told her I’d let her know, and then when I went to check on her for you, I told her that if she really loved you, she should stay. That’s what I needed for us to be good.”

“You did?”

Smiling, she nods. “I told her that I was sure you’d come around if she could stick it out a little longer.”

“You knew this whole time this is what I’d decide.”

It’s not a question, but Lex nods anyway. “Oh, I totally knew. I knew when you told me she moved here. But you had to be ready for it.”

“You’re an impossibly difficult woman. You know that, right?”

“Again, if I was given a Native American name, I’m certain it would be some variation of that.”

Grabbing her shoulders, Venom kisses her cheek. “I’m an idiot.”

“Most men are,” she calls after him.

He hurries back to his apartment, and as much as he wants to talk to Marnie about everything, he doesn’t want to wake her. Not after such a traumatic evening.

Walking inside, he quietly strips out of his boots, jeans, and kutte. He walks towards the bed and bumps into the dresser, realizing he’s about two steps off from where he thought he was, and he fights saying the curse words screaming in his head aloud.

“Did you find Lex?”

He snorts. “I guess trying to be quiet to let you sleep was pointless. Yeah, I talked to her.”

“Did she get all the glass from her hair?”

Chuckling, he climbs onto the bed next to her. “Yeah, and it only cut five of Colt’s fingers.”

“Poor guy.”

He turns on the lamp next to the bed and looks into Marnie’s eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“For what? This attack was kind of a fluke. And it’s not as bad as it seems. I only have a small headache. Honestly, it scared me more than hurt, not that I’ll admit that too many people.”

Venom takes her hand and holds it, his eyes spotting a scrape on her skin. He has no idea whether it’s from the attack or something else, and he runs his thumb over it gently. “I lied to you.”

“When?”

“That night. I told you I didn’t love you.”

A small intake of breath makes him look back up into her eyes. “If you really don’t love me, you don’t have to say it because of what happened. It’s okay—”

“I’m so in love with you that I don’t feel like I’ve been able to think straight from the day we met. Being without you is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and I lied because I’m an idiot. I thought I had to fall out of love with you, but the truth is, Marnie, I never will. I’ll always love you.”

“It really hurt when you said it. If that’s how I made you feel, I don’t know how you could love me. Nothing has ever hurt more than that night. I couldn’t breathe. I honestly thought it was going to kill me.”

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