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“What’s wrong?” I wipedrool there I probably still didn’t get it all

“Everything,” Taylen exclai is wrong His face is so urgent and worried, yet still so freaking beautiful Has he always been this gorgeous? How did I not see it? Or how did it never affectti because you left You walked out ofto do”

“Garp!” My les like a fish behind Taylen, but he doesn’t stop

“The very second you walked out, I realized ht take some time to happen, and it’s true that I probably do have et there I realized as soon as you left…wait, no, it was actually before that, but I just couldn’t say anything because I’m a dumbass who just stood there I was put on the spot, and you kno I am when I’m put on the spot…”

I nod because I do know He’s not good at it, and when it happens, he clams up He also dams up and jams up

“I don’t want to spend the rest of my life without you, or even spend the rest of my life with you as just my best friend I love you, Elodie”

“Garp!” Moain, louder

Jeffers barks The noisehim off

“I want to be worthy of you, and I want to be the one who gets to do life with you If that h I hope it doesn’t, at least I’ll be a big pile of ashes who gave it all he had Because continuing the rest of my life without you would be torture It would be worse than the torture of not knowing if it would work out or not It would be even worse than the torture of not taking the chance while I had it because I was too scared I’d lose you”

“Gahhhhh! Roger! Roger, where are you?”

Myato rush to her I’ive in and tell her that I’ll do what she wants because I won’t I won’t marry a man I don’t love And I don’t want to live here anymore It’s not healthy for my parents andafraid We need to give each other space and respect They can’t be so afraid that so will happen towill happen tothem

I sly at Taylen I don’t want to interrupt hih I need to see hi desire to throw ainst him, wrap my arms around him, and just hold him I need to hold not justlife

“I love you, Ell,” he says as he pulls out the ruined soul contract The paper is soggy and rumpled, but when he hands it to et drunk at the sight of it “I love you soyour soul to me”

“Holyher hands now and hovering like an angry wasp in the background as she calls out to my father

I seriously hope my dad appears so he can hear my response, and my mom won’t have to repeat it

“I’d sell my soul to you any day” I reach into my jeans and pull out the brooch, which I pin to the front ofthis proudly I’ot cursed There isn’t anyone else in the world I’d rather do this with”

By this point, I can’t hold back I rush at Taylen and throw my arms around his neck His arms come up around ht there in front of my mom And alsointo the room behind us

“Holyon?”

“I don’t know, Roger I don’t know…”

But I know they do Because I don’t stop kissing Taylen, and it’s clear we’re soback, even without the curse and soul contract