Page 103 of His Passerotta

With my eyes filling, I slowly press the keys into his hand. I can’t form words. And for the first time in his twenty-two years, he sees a tear slip from my eye.

He smiles a sad, goodbye smile, and kisses my cheek. “I love you too.”

With that, he climbs into the car and drives away, my red Impala fading into the distance. To my complete surprise, my heart doesn’t drive away with it.

Anthony walks to me, and my legs itch to run to him, but my mind roots me in place. It’s been a long, hard twelve hours. Hell, a long hard life. I’m ready to rest.

He stops just short of me and frowns. “Are you sure about this?” he asks, gesturing to where my car disappeared.

With a deep breath, I nod. “I don’t know that I’ve ever been more sure of where I want to be.”

His frown eases as his eyes dip to my lips. “Good.”

With one long step, he closes the distance between us and crashes his lips to mine. My hands wrap around his neck as his weave through my hair. I’m acutely aware of my heart pumping, faster and faster by the second, and it feels like it just started back up.

I’m safe.

I’m home.

And there is no better feeling. No better bandage for my wounds. No better way to bring me peace.

When our kiss finally breaks, Anthony presses his forehead to mine, his breaths hitting my lips.

“Are you ready to ride off into the sunset?” I ask, a smile tugging my lips.

He takes my hand and grins in return.

“Ready.”

EPILOGUE

BAILEY

“Are you feeling okay?” Anya’s perfectly filled-in eyebrow raises.

The brush stills in my grasp, and I pull it from her eyelid. “Of course.” Studying her eyes closely, I brush over one side that probably only looks slightly heavier in my imagination.

The truth is, I’m just busying myself as a distracter at this point. Anya looks great. Hell, she looked great when she walked into Anthony’s and my apartment. She’s fifteen, she has the skin of a baby’s ass.

But you know who doesn’t look great?

Me.

My stomach recoils again, and I smile through the nausea. It’s been like this almost constantly for a week, but there’s no way I’ll make it one more night locked up inside this apartment. I’m due for a shift at Au Revoir’s bar in an hour, and I’ll be damned if I let Anthony talk me into staying home again.

“So is Mack taking you out to eat first?” I ask, remembering her date for the winter formal. This is my third time doing her makeup for a dance, this time a sort of freshman/sophomore prom. It’s free of charge because I ironically think of Maksim as a friend, but it’s okay because I like her company. She’s got spunk.

“Ew, gross.” She scrunches up her face like she’s just taken a bite out of a rotten egg.

“What?” I laugh. “I thought you liked him.”

“Sure, until he told half the school I’m an easy lay. All because I didn’t want to suck his uncircumcised dick.” When she makes a gagging sound, I have to giggle. I don’t know if I’ll ever be used to her mouth.

“Can you imagine how much lint must’ve been trapped in that thing? The dude only showered every, like, third day.”

“Okay, well then who is the date?” I ask, putting away my makeup bag.

“Ashton Ash.”

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