Page 72 of Dreadful

When she replies, her voice is so low that I almost don’t hear it. “You asked me before why I like theater.”

My heart pounds in my chest. I’ve waited for her to make every physical move between us, and now I wait with bated breath as she makes her first emotional one.

“I like it because I love happy endings. Most people don’t get those in real life.”

My brow furrows. “Why can’t you?”

“Because it wouldn’t be fair. I don’t know how long I’ll have after—”

Her mouth shut. Whatever reverie she was lost in is gone, and with it, her vulnerability. She clears her throat and whirls around to face me.

“How’s your chest?”

“No, don’t shut down,dolcezza. You don’t know how long you’ll have after…what?”

She shakes her head, but her eyes are soft. Sad almost. “After nothing. How are you feeling?”

My eyes narrow, but she doesn’t budge. I want to push her, but pressuring her to answer will only make her dig her heels in more. In the short time I’ve known her, I’ve learned myviperacan’t be forced to do anything. I don’t want to ruin the progress we made last night.

“I’m fine.” I place her hand against my bandaged wound. “It barely hurts. And my ankle would be the size of a basketball right now without you. If you decide art, costume design, or baking isn’t for you, you’d make a fine doctor.”

She snorts. “I think I’m busy enough, thanks.” When she pulls her hand away, her sweater’s long sleeve flutters back down her wrist. I catch a glimpse of the tulips on her forearm again, but there’s something gray as stone there, too.

“Is there more to your tattoo?”

I reach for her hand so I can inspect it, but she steps away and shoves the sleeve down over her wrist.

“If you don’t want to show me yet,dolcezza, that’s okay. But you won’t be able to keep it hidden for long. One day soon, I’ll see all of you.” I caress her cheek slowly. “Every…single…inch.”

Tension creases her forehead.

“Look, Sev, last night…it can’t happen again.”

My jaw tics, and I cross my arms, ignoring the pull from my stitches. “And why not?”

She huffs like she didn’t expect me to push back and flounders for an answer. “Because I just—I just don’t want to be someone’s fuckbuddy, alright? I don’t have the time for it.”

“Who says I want you to be a fuckbuddy? I don’t want that. I told you as much last night. I want you. Full stop. I want you.”

Her swallow travels down the column of her neck and into the neckline of the sweater that must cover even more scars.

“I saw these last night.” I brush the faint purple mark she’s tried to cover with light makeup. She doesn’t flinch, and my heart soars with triumph. “I don’t think you show them to many people. Do you?”

She shakes her head slowly. “No, but that doesn’t mean anything—”

My hand grips the sides of her neck before she can finish. I close in on her to cage her against the wall.

“That meanseverything. Don’t you understand? You were vulnerable with me last night. And I was vulnerable with you. I could’ve gone home. I could’ve gone to the hospital. I could’ve gone anywhere, but I ran to you. You took care of me. You let me sleep in your bed. Then you let me take care ofyou.”

Her eyes dart from my mouth back to my gaze. I tighten my grip on her neck and glide my other hand down her waist to rest on her hip. She steps closer, and I pull her in so that our hips meet. We’re centimeters apart, and I’m a breath away from kissing her again. She licks her lips, inviting me to taste, but I only brush mine against hers.

“I get the feeling you don’t open up to just anyone,vipera, but you did with me. You can try to pretend that you didn’t melt against me when we came together. You can even try to pretend that what happened last night was just sexual. But one day you’ll have to admit that whatever this is between us is more than that. It’s worth being vulnerable for. It might just be worth everything.”

Her inhales and exhales rise and fall against my chest. She pulls back as her intense, golden-green eyes search my face before she clears her throat.

“There are…there are things you don’t know about me. Things that if you found out, you wouldn’t—” She shakes her head.

“Whatever it is that you think I can’t handle, you’re wrong. You just have to trust me.”