Page 161 of Shades of Silver City

“I love it, baby.” He steps forward, cupping my cheeks in his hands. “Come here,” he mutters, planting kisses all over my face.

I told you he’d like it, Scathe says.

No, you tried to talk me out of it, mutt, I reply.

When Archer pulls back, he grips my hand gently, pulling my arm up to inspect the tattoo. “That’s why you were being weird about my hoodie. You were hiding this from me, huh?”

“Yep.” I grin, glancing at my arm, still pleased with how it came out.

Instead of a skull with a worm crawling out of the eye socket, my skull has colorful caterpillars crawling out of the eye sockets and a gorgeous butterfly—already transformed—flitting away. It complements Archer’s Nightcrawler tattoo as well as the larger one on my thigh connecting them, morphing them both into something hopeful.

“So, I gotta show you something, too.” Archer’s cheeks turn pink as he scratches the back of his head. He reaches for the hem of his shirt, lifting it up and revealing a tiny butterfly on his hip, right above the waistband of his jeans.

I gasp, tracing the ink with my fingers. His tattoo is fully healed, as if it’s been there for a while. But there’s no way. I would’ve seen it yesterday morning when I had him naked in bed.

“When the hell did you get this done?”

“This morning.” He grins adorably at me, looking pleased with himself. “Superfast healing, remember?”

“You asshole.” I laugh, gently shoving his shoulder.

“You’re even sassier than Scathe, you know, and that’s saying something.” Before I can respond, he says, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Scathe growls, and Archer chuckles. He gently kisses the back of my hand and murmurs, “You’re perfect the way you are.”

“You’re not really the asshole I once thought you were, are you?”

“Oh, I absolutely am.” He smirks. “I’m only an asshole for you, never to you.”

My smile grows as I shake my head.

He clears his throat, and his features harden into something more serious. “It’s you and me, baby,” he says. “I love you.”

That’s my cue, Scathe says.

In my peripheral, I catch the hound leaving the room with Zeke and Pixel. But I keep my attention fully locked on Archer, on the life-changing words he chose to utter for the first time. Right here, right now, on his birthday, in the newly renovated lobby of the apartment he grew up in. With all of our friends around, after a streak of recent accomplishments in the city.

It’s too perfect.

Too right.

I’m scared I misheard him.

“What’d you say?” I whisper, staring into Archer’s kind, gold eyes. My heart flits faster than a hummingbird’s wings, and suddenly all the joking and teasing melts out of my body.

I’m desperate to hear those words again.

I need them more than I need the air in my lungs.

He places his palm on my cheek, gently tilting my head back and leaning forward until his mouth hovers above mine. “I said, I love you, Fantasia Foster,” he whispers across my lips.

“I love you, too, Archer Acciai.” I smile into his lips, not quite kissing him yet, blinking back joyous tears.

“I hope you know that I’d do anything for you.” He lowers his voice. “And I mean anything.”

Our bodies are so close that his golden soul-shade practically wraps around me. I’m so used to it that I don’t pay extra attention…until the aura wavers in color. It flickers, deepening in color until it’s almost brown.

I blink, and it’s gold again.

Sighing in relief, I press my lips to Archer’s. I’m seeing things. It was only a trick of the lighting.

Because Archer has the kindest heart I know.

The purest soul I know.

Nothing could corrupt him.

The End…

Or is it?

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