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"It’s just an expression--"

"No It’s an ideology You firmly believe it You think it’s not worth it for me to step in to defend you with your shithead ex-boyfriend or your dad or whoever It’s not worth it, you think, for me to put h Giving up that job was nothing compared to what youto me physically They pierced me with a needle-like pain while joy burned white-hot insidearound…" I said faintly, alry at him I needed those walls to protect my tender and battered heart

"I’ve wanted you since the moment I first laid eyes on you And yeah, I wanted that in ht you were beautiful I kneho you were at Coreat excuse to be one and done with you, get you out of my system"

He blew out a breath and reached up to rub the back of his neck "But it didn’t work out that way I couldn’t get the taste of you out of my mind and it just madethe opposite of whatever his intent was Because they were only confir "Yes We had fun, but--"

"I’m not finished" I raised ainst the door to allow hiht--I thought that was all it was Just really good, hot sex" I opened my mouth to interrupt him, but he held up a hand to stop s involved and that I was putting the cart before the horse I thought that the sex being so as…until I started thinking about stuff yesterday on the plane and in New York I couldn’t stop thinking about everything that had gone on and how I felt like shit because of it And then it occurred to ood was because I already cared Deeper than I ever thought I could Than I ever even wanted to"

"You didn’t want to?"

He looked away and then back at e your ed my heart" My eyes slipped from his even as my own heart skipped beats First one, then two Then it tripped all over itself as his words registered

"I wishI wish you had said so to me on Saturday at the party But you didn’t You leftin front of everyone"

He closed his eyes, his jaorking "I’e it, I would Everything happened so fast I have no excuse for how I behaved It was cowardly I’m so sorry, April I should have stood up there with you"

He opened his eyes and ain Then he took a deep breath

"Those last teeks while I was on the road, I ht about you all the ti I picked up the phone to text you at least a hundred ti that happened, any iffy joke I heard, I wanted to send to you I wanted you to tellinappropriate with you"

I tookout, he took a strand of er "I love you, April Weiss My very own fairytale princess"

Tears immediately pricked my eyes, and I covered my mouth and nose with my hands Jordan watched me carefully but still made no further move to touchhi It felt so good So da my neck, and I kissed him everywhere I could reach…his neck, his jaw, his cheek

"Who would have thought a beast could say such pretty words?"

He turned his head and caught rown too big or my chest cavity was too small to contain it It felt full, painful even And there was tooBad Wolf And later, I’ to eat you all up"

I smiled and nipped at his neck withtiainst ood