Page 106 of Watch Me Burn
“Then you’ll survive it. You’re the strongest person I know, Lu. You save animals that everyone else has given up on. You survived a bridge collapse that should have killed you. You survived losing a baby you didn’t even know you wanted until it was gone. You can survive this, whatever happens.”
Willow jumps from the back of the sofa to sit on Maren’s lap. She must sense my mood leveling out and wants to say hello to her second favorite human.
“And if all else fails…” A dark smirk curves her lips as she strokes Willow. “We kill him and hide the body. I know some seriously remote spots in these mountains.”
Oh, Jesus. The last thing these mountains need is more bodies.
“Do you want me to stay tonight? I can be your backup. Hide in the closet with a baseball bat or something. Maybe a tranquilizer gun. Yes.” Her eyes light up. “We can tranq him, lock him in the recovery den, and torture him.”
“Maren, dial back the kidnapping fantasies.”
“Hey, kidnapping fantasies can be very hot with the right person, but I digress. We’re talking about torturing your wolf.”
“You’re freaking me out a little. And I appreciate the offer, but this is something I need to handle myself.” I pull in a deep breath, searching for courage somewhere in my chest. “Thank you, though. For listening. For not making me feel like a complete idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot for falling in love. And you’re definitely not an idiot for having kinks that make you happy. If you want to get zip-tied, bent over, railed, and choked out until you forget your own name, I’m definitely not one to judge. As long as you have a safe word and he respects it. And you make him wrap it the fuck up.”
“Jesus Christ, Mar. Tell me how you really feel about my sex life.”
“Bitch, please, I’ve known you’re a kinky slut since I walked in on Brad Worthington railing your ass after the CSU Thanksgiving bowl.”
“I saw more of your ass than I ever wanted to during college too, you know.”
“So you know how fabulous it is.” She grins, then the smile fades. “You wanna know what I think?”
“Always.”
“I think there’s more to this story than you know yet. You need to hear him out before you decide anything.” She leans forward again, holding my gaze. “And deep down, you already know what you want.”
“Do I?”
“Luna, you soaked my shirt with snot and tears when you lost that baby. You never thought you wanted kids until you were pregnant with his. You weren’t just destroyed by the miscarriage, but because the baby was his. Even if you couldn’t say it then, you wanted a future with him.” Maren’s voice stays soft but steady. “Now you know who he is. The only things standing between you and that future are anger, hurt feelings, and maybe a healthy dose of torture for good measure.”
“You’re oversimplifying it.”
“Am I? Seems to me you’ve stumbled into something rare. Someone who sees all of you. The parts you show everyone and the parts you only let out in the dark.” She pushes to her feet and stretches, her spine cracking. “Just think about it, okay? Before you torch everything because you’re scared, hurt, and pissed off. That’s my go-to move, and we both know how well that’s worked out for me.”
I nod, unable to push words past the knot in my throat. Sometimes I hate how well she knows me.
“Come on.” She moves toward the kitchen door. “Let’s get some food in you. But not at that table. You should burn it.”
A smile pulls at my mouth even through the ache twisting in my chest. If she only knew how many times she’s eaten breakfast at that exact table the morning after he’d had me sprawled across it the night before. I scrub it down every time, but the knowledge would freak her out, so I keep my mouth shut.
“Actually—” She stops in the doorway. “Maybe you should stay here today. Let me handle the sanctuary. I’ll come get you if anything urgent comes up, but I think you need time to figure out what you’re going to say to him tonight.”
I push to my feet, moving Shadow’s giant head and dispersing the cats. “No. I’ll lose my mind sitting here obsessing. Besides, Ricky needs a final ultrasound to make sure there aren’t any leftover kidney stone fragments.”
She nods. “Okay. Maybe a little boob action from your favorite raccoon might just be what the doctor ordered.”
I step forward and wrap my arms around her, crushing her in a hug until she makes a squeaking sound. She squeezes back just as hard until the air leaves my lungs.
“Thanks, Mar. I love you so much.”
“Yeah, you do. I’m fucking awesome.” She tries for flip, but her voice comes out thick with emotion.
We head into the kitchen together. She insists on cooking while I perch at the counter, deliberately not looking at the table. Bacon sizzles in the pan while she fills the silence with complaints about JT being an ass and how they might be done. I knew he was the reason for her mood when she showed up. I can see the hurt she’s trying to hide behind the irritation.
Men are the worst.
