Page 152 of These White Lies

“And you.” She spins and points a finger at me. “Telling her she’s not a victim just reminds her you think she is.”

“I don’t?—”

“You look at me like I’m going to collapse in a puddle of tears every time you look at me,” Elizabeth accuses. “You don’t look at me like I’m me anymore. And God forbid I try to touch your?—”

“Okay!” Sera interrupts, her cheeks pink. “My work is done here. Time to go,” she tosses over her shoulder before shutting the door a little too hard behind her.

Elizabeth is breathing hard, her jaw tight.

I stand watching her, unsure if I should speak, unsure if she wants me here—but she doesn’t move away.

Minutes pass before she says anything.

“When I was little,” she murmurs, eyes fixed out the window, “lightning struck that tree. The one where we found the necklace. Right down the middle. It never grew the same. But it didn’t die either. Just… warped. The hollow was always there after that.”

Her voice is soft. “It doesn’t make sense… for it to have such a large hollow in the trunk and still be alive.” Her gaze flicks to mine. “That’s what this feels like. I’m worried that the hollow will always be there. That you will only ever see the damaged parts of me.”

I stop in front of her, brushing a strand of hair off her cheek. “You’re not hollow.”

She blows out a raspberry and ducks her head, but I hold her face as gently as I can, aware that though the swelling is almost gone, the skin is still tender.

“I love you, Elizabeth Gowan, and you love me. You arenothollow.”

“What if I already was?” Her eyes, filled with anguish, meet mine. “Before all this. You know what my life looked like. What if the cracks were already there and this… This lightning just made them bigger?”

Her voice breaks off when I press my lips to hers, silencing her fears.

I cup her face. “You’re careful. You’re guarded. Frequently shrewish and argumentative. But you’re so full of life, you’re bursting. You are probably going to be scared now and then.” I stare into her eyes, willing her to understand. “So will I, but we are going to figure this out together. If you want to burn, fucking blaze, but if you need to just flicker for a while, I’ll keep the light on for both of us, Firefly.”

My thumb strokes over the healing skin below her eye. The corner of my mouth ticks up. “So, this whole pouting in yourbedroom thing was because I didn’t fuck you enough? I’m happy to remedy that.”

Her mouth drops open in outrage, and her eyes kindle with the defiance I love. “You wish, assho?—”

I cut off her words by sealing her mouth with mine and walk her backwards until I’ve got her pinned to the wall. She pinches my bicep hard in retaliation before her body grows lax, melting into the kiss.

Elizabeth gasps into my mouth, her good hand gripping my shirt, tugging me closer until there is no space between our bodies.

“You’re supposed to be the smart one in this relationship, but you come up with the most ridiculous ideas,” I mutter against her lips, forcing myself to slow down enough to meet her gaze. “There is nothing.Nothingthat would ever keep me from wanting you.” I smirk at her. “I mean, I still want you after hearing you threaten a famous director with disembowelment.”

“Don’t lie. You thought it was hot.” Her breath fans heat against my mouth.

“Fuck yeah, I did.”

She kisses me again, harder, desperate, and when her thigh slides against mine, my control shreds. I growl low in my throat and lift her, careful of her splinted hand as her legs lock around my hips.

“You’re hurt,” I rasp, holding her up against the wall, every muscle trembling with restraint. “Tell me if it’s too much.”

“Right now, it’s not enough.”

Her fire. God, I missed it.

I shove her skirt up, working her panties roughly aside, while she scrabbles with my zipper. I push into her slowly, watching her face. Her lips part, a moan escaping as her nails bite into my shoulders.

“Firefly,” I groan, my forehead pressed to hers. “You ruin me.”

Her laugh is a little breathless. “Good.”

I thrust again, deeper this time, and she cries out, clinging to me as I support her weight. My cheek presses to hers my lips moving against her ear. “I won’t let you fall.”