Page 115 (1/2)

“You toldme would destroy that”

“Yes But I can’t really explain, or I’d die I’ve changed reat one day”

But he still believed I’d have to leave him to do it

“Now,” he said, pushing past a potentially bleakoff? A lot, a little?”

“All,” I said

His hand touched the outside of h and stroked down softly, supportive He kissed the h delicately, and tears crowdedbreath

“It’s going to be okay,” he whispered, planting another soft kiss “Everything is going to be okay Please believe me”

But it wouldn’t, not without him

“Let’s just pretend we’re in an alternate reality,” he went on, wiping the salve across my skin “A reality where we find ourselves stranded in this strange castle for a night, with just each other This night is the only one that exists There was no yesterday, and there is no tomorrow There is only this moment I, for one, don’t want to waste it How about you?”

“Okay”

He ran his hand down the outside of ain “Prepare to be amazed”

Twenty-One

I laughed softly as I struggled to getthat razor the whole time, slowly and methodically

“So, you never said, what did you think of that latest book I sent up to you?” he asked “The epic fantasy Did you hate it?”

I pressed on the cloth covering my eyes to soak up the dampness of my stray tears “I liked but didn’t love it”

“Interesting Tell me more”

“Well for one, the hero Really, guy? You’re auard—literally, because he’d been drinking at a pub—and got a job, because of course a drunk jerk got a job offer, and then he is suddenly the best at it He knows it all because…logic! His only weakness? A wouy style A Gary Sue He’s that guy who saunters into a rooreat he is, and then mansplains your job to you”

“Yes…I see your point, though I did enjoy putting uy who could have had it all but for the woman of his dreams”