Page 47 of A Very Happy Halloween

Oh my gosh. He’d had freaking surgery, and he hadn’t warned me?

“You are such an idiot. I could have cancelled my driving test and come with you.”

“Which was the main reason I didn’t tell you. I wanted to, but…” He laid his forehead against mine. “When I’m scared, I bottle everything up.”

“What else is scaring you? What other secrets are you keeping?”

“Nothing, I swear.” His gaze locked on to mine. “Absolutely nothing else scares me apart from the thought of losing you. I feel like we can finally have the life we should have shared thirteen years ago.”

Maybe I had overreacted a little this afternoon. Eis had told me he was going to a medical appointment, and he’d mentioned Bex a hundred times. Plus taking a young boy out for brunch because his father couldn’t be bothered was precisely the kind of thing Eis would do.

The truth was, I was scared as well. It was all too easy to react before thinking, to jump to the wrong conclusion based on fear rather than logic. And the only thing I was scared of was losing him.

I touched a finger to his scarred temple.

“You can see out of your bad eye?”

“Not as well as I used to, but yes. They say my vision should keep improving over the next few months.”

Sheepishly, I wrapped my arms around him. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I was a bitch.”

“I get it. This is new. And I also understand why you have insecurities, but I love you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

“I love you too.”

“Bleurgh.” Oops. I’d almost forgotten Marissa was still here. “You two are so sweet my teeth hurt.”

“Marissa, meet Eisen. Eis, this is my sister, Marissa.”

“Good to meet you, Marissa.”

“I’m absolutely not going to comment on your butt.” She clapped both hands over her mouth. “Sorry.”

“As you can see, putting one’s foot in it runs in the family.”

“It’s true,” Marissa agreed. “Is that a ‘no’ on the fish fingers?”

“We’re okay, but thanks.”

“Rightio. I should head home. Uh, Eisen? Your car is blocking me in.”

“Janie can move it.”

“Janie can’t. She drank half a bottle of wine.” Marissa squinted out the window. “Is that a cat on the bonnet?”

“No, it’s a bow.”

“Why do you have a bow…? Oh! Ohmigosh! Janie, you definitely have to keep him.”

“Because he has a bow? Or are we back to the butt discussion?”

“Because he bought you a car, stupid.”

“What?”

“A car! It’s super cute.”

“He can’t buy me a car. Cars are really expensive.”

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