Page 40 of My Summer Girl

“I love that,” I say, wanting to fit this man in my pocket and bring him back to Vex. Maybe Vex will like him too, and he can join our merry band of whatever we are.

“What about you, sweetness?”

“I’m a Cupid, I suppose.”

“Suppose?” he prods, and then guides us toward the trees. They’re various shades of blue. Yes, blue. It’s like this place has been altered color scheme-wise, much like Amantes. Well, the human realm isn’t the standard. Our feet tread along, and while he seems okay, I worry for my feet.

“I quit,” I respond, biting the inside of my cheek. I’m technically still a Cupid. It’s not erasable.

“Is it a job?”

I nod and gnaw on my lip, the anxiety it brings to think about my parents finding out has my stomach in knots. The churning sensation only worsens when we stop and he grabs my shoulders.

“If it makes you unhappy, maybe that’s for the best?”

“It doesn’t make me unhappy, per se,” I begin, bringing my nails to my mouth. Before I can chew on them, he intersects and brings my fingers to his chest.

“Then tell me more. I could listen to you speak all day.”

Feeling like a blushing schoolgirl, I shy away from his response. The words hit my chest in a warm way, and I hate that we’ve just met and I feel something. Two days ago, you couldn’t convince me I would be attracted to anyone other than Vex. Yet, here I am with this Orukna, wanting to kidnap him and take him home. When you feel it, you feel it.

“I love being a Cupid. It’s fulfilling seeing all these people fall in love and have happiness as a result of my hard work.”

We continue our path and he stares intently at me as I tell him more. “What’s not satisfying is seeing my siblings find their soul mates and me being all alone, existing only as a shadow to my sister.”

He halts, his hands cupping my jaw. “I don’t see a shadow at all. When I look at you, I only see sunshine.”

Emotion clogs my throat. This man is sweeter than conversation hearts, and those are my favorite.

“You’re being too sweet,” I say, wanting to thank him while also not knowing how to accept compliments.

“Maybe it’s you, Dulce. You’re the sweet one.”

It’s not lost on me that he must know my name means sweet, candy, sugar, and many more variants in my language.

“You know the language of love?”

He nods. “It’s also the language of Orukna,” he offers, a boyish expression overtaking his face.

“Eres muy guapo,” I flirt, testing the waters.

“Tú eres hermosa,” he whispers huskily, letting out a heady breath. “Eres la flor de mi jardín.”

Speechless, I bring my hand to my face, wanting to hide once more. Does he really mean that? Unsure of what to say, I tug on his palm and hope to pretend that he’s not making me feel any sort of way.

“So, the ‘fuck it’ list?” he tries again, trying to bring us back to the initial topic of our conversation. I nearly forgot what we were speaking about.

He pauses, looking at the trees up ahead before nodding and going to the left.

“I really want to dance naked in the rain, have sex under the stars, among other things I’m too scared to admit to someone I’ve just met,” I reveal. My mind travels to how little we get rain in Amantes.

Rain isn’t frequent, but naked? Never would’ve done it where someone can spot me. The way I’d be far too embarrassed. Being in front of people at Vex’s... That’s the first and most brazen I’ve ever been. Vex’s is safe. Reality is what’s scary.

Swim in a lake often, all while naked? Easy, because it’s secluded and I’ve never seen anything other than animals there.

His eyebrows spike upward as a little laugh escapes his lips. “You’re a Cupid. A creature—not human, might I add—and that’s the best you’ve got?”

I scoff at him. He’s not wrong, but he didn’t have to be so blunt about it. “Really?” It’s a grumble and I shove at him with my shoulder. His body doesn’t move a single muscle, but the effort is there. “I’ll have you know, I’ve never been out in the open naked where people watch.”

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