Page 61 of Of Poison & Pumpkins
Wasted hope that one day he’d apologize, acknowledge his mistakes.
Strike. Bang. Bash.
My arms shake. Back burns from overuse. I scan the room, where half the ghosts stare at me in surprise. What used to resemble a desk is now a disorderly pile of wood and rubble. There’s not much left to wreck, I drop the pipe to the ground and bend over, hands on my knees, to gather more oxygen.
The music dies and the ghosts all disappear through the walls as if they were never here. Rynn kneels in front of me, and I’d yell at her for risking getting cut if I were able to speak.
“Holy shit, Elias! That was epic.” Rynn angles her face towards me, looking up at me through long eyelashes. Her skin is pink, but no longer from crying. Her eyes sparkle full of life.
I love her.
She may not return the sentiment right away, but I don’t care. This right here, the way her eyes shine when she looks at me, is proof enough.
“You’re looking at me all serious.”
“I love you.” I lift her chin a little then slide my fingertip down her throat. “I love you, Rynnlee, with my whole heart. And I’ll be by your side, ready to destroy anything for us, for you, as long as you’ll let me. All you need to do is ask, and I’m yours.”
Her lips part with a soft puff of air. “Oh.”
“I’m not expecting you to say it back, but you did promise me a kiss after our date.”
Both her hands find the back of my neck and she climbs my front like a tree until our mouths collide in passion. Our teeth even knock together. Her tongue is on a mission.
“Stop that, right now. That’s against rule eight!” Shannon laughs, pulling us apart. “One of you may have wood or glass in your suit and pierce the other by accident. “Wait until you get to your room.”
“Our room?” Rynn asks.
“Yeah, didn’t Elias explain? The Fury Factory isn’t the only experience of our sensory hotel. He booked the full shebang. We haven’t named each room yet, but your next space is where you’ll spend the night. I might call it the Furry Fortress.”
“Wait, you said he only reserved one room?” One of Rynn’s eyebrows rise and I lift both my hands in surrender.
“Hey, now. They only have one test-room ready. I’m not planning any mischief.”
“And what do you expect will be happening in this shared room tonight, Lias?”
“A pillow fight.”
Tonight, I’m going to savor every moment with the woman I love. Love. I love her. And I plan to prove it in more ways than one.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Rynn
I lay like a starfish among the softest fabrics in the universe, silk and satin. There’s no chance that floating on clouds in a robe of feathers would be more comfortable. The cozy room smells like fresh laundry, oranges, and wishes. On the floor, we’re surrounded by comforters, blankets, and even a stuffed unicorn that I may have to steal in the morning. Two pairs of slippers sit in the corner. I bet one is my size.
Elias sits next to me on the blankets, legs bent with his arms wrapped around his knees. He had said he loves me. And I replied with ‘oh.’
Soft orchestra instrumentals play from a speaker in the walls.
“Kind of makes you want to take your clothes off, doesn’t it?” Elias chuckles awkwardly and I can’t help but grin.
“Was that a suggestion?” I ask.
His throat bobs, then he bites his bottom lip. My heart pitter patters in my chest. Never in a million years had I expected Elias to become so outrageously nervous. My pulse is rapid, but more so from not telling him about my eczema before now. I doubt he’ll care about the splotches on my legs, but it could be a mood killer if he doesn’t understand.
He stares silently at his bare toes. When did he take his shoes off? Well, I may as well catch up. One foot at a time, I slip off my boots and scoot a little closer. Heat fumes off his body like he’s a furnace.
“You’re hot.”
