Page 157 of Chalk Outline

“Anything for you.”

Fuck yeah.

“What’s the other thing?” I ask, now, dreadful as her body tenses against me. “Please, I need to know.”

She stays silent for a moment.

“One of the bodyguards I had when I was eight came into my room one night while Grandma was away on business.”

“What did he do?” I force out the words, grind my teeth, and gently brush her hair.

“Nothing. He wanted to, I’m sure. The dark look in his eyes... I was so scared, I clutched my teddy bear so tightly until Koy appeared behind him and yanked him out of my room.”

I slowly exhale the breath I’ve been holding.

“I’ve never shared this with anyone, and I’m unsure if Koy ever told Grandma about it. He probably did. Koy was like a father figure to me whenever I needed a comforting hug, advice, or just someone to vent to.”

“He’s a good man. I’m glad you had him before I came.”

“Me too.”

I’m a bit jealous that he could always be there for her, and I couldn’t.

“Did he kill the fucker?”

“He handled it. The fucker never came back.”

Yeah, he killed him.

Koy would kill anyone for Winona and her grandma without a second thought. He’s as loyal as I am and equally protective.

I’m still upset that she had to experience all of that as a kid.

“Why couldn’t the world just let us be kids? Why did it have to be so hard?” I voice my thoughts.

“Maybe because we needed to be who we are now so we could handle shit the way we do.”

“Maybe... but I wish you could have been a little firecracker with the best stories about all the fun adventures you might have had. I wish my childhood looked different.”

“I’m still a firecracker. Maybe not all my stories are fun, but I have plenty of adventures to brag about because of you. Look at us, Reeve. We’re here, together, holding hands. We’ve known each other for over a decade, and we’re still counting. This is what real life looks like. It’s not easy. It’s not always fun. It’s this.It’s us. We write our own story, and ours is just getting started. I feel like we have so many years ahead of us.”

I hope so.

She moves closer to my face and seals her lips to mine. I nip her lush lip and slip my tongue into her mouth. She runs her fingers through my messy hair, tugging at the thick strands. I run my hands down her back, squeezing firmly before resting them on her hips.

“How’s the bear?” she asks between kisses, pulling away to catch her breath, then diving back in.

“He looked fine when I saw him two days ago during my usual walk. He might know a secret you haven’t unlocked yet.”

“What secret?” she questions.

“I will show you tomorrow.”

Right now, I’m having too much fun kissing and making out on the dirt.

I lower my lips to hers for a gentle kiss. My hand in her hair, tugging it back.

Winona and I make out on the couch, but it doesn’t last long when Titan decides he doesn’t appreciate being excluded from our morning activities and jumps between us, expressing his concerns with grunts and growls.