Page 61 of That Emerald Vow

Not wanting to face the wrath that is my best friend, I do exactly that and tell her all about Damon and me—not leaving a single detail out. She’s grinning from ear to ear as she says, “You nasty fucks. I love that. How about now? Are you ready to take that next step? I see how cozy y’all are, even if you’ve been lying to me and keeping secrets.” She narrows her eyes at me. “But I’ll choose to forgive you cause we have bigger shit to worry about.”

“I think I’m ready for more now.” I bite my lip, anxiety weaving through my veins.

Lily starts clapping excitedly. “Does he know?”

“Not yet. At least not officially. We’ve been tip-toeing around it because so much is going on.”

She looks me dead in the eyes. “Char, please don’t stop on my account. I know there were other things going on with his mom too, but please go be happy. You deserve the world, and I know Damon will give that to you. You know, or else I’ll kill him,” she says matter-of-factly. I know she would too. Just like I’d kill Adrian if he ever hurt her.

“You deserve the world too, Lils.”

She purses her lips, thinking. “I think it’s time we go back inside to the doofuses who we fell for and let them show us how amazing we are.”

I turn my head mischievously. “That sounds perfect.”

Our jokes and laughs don’t fully heal the parts of us that are still figuring out our trauma and how it informs how we see the world—how we feel and act. But it helps to know that we never have to do it alone.

“Their friendship reminds me so much of Lily and mine—through thick and thin,” I say, feeling warmth radiate from my chest, especially after our recent conversation.

Damon and I are curled up on the couch together, watching a new TV show,The Foundation Series. We needed a feel-good show to lighten the heaviness from the last several weeks. I only heard about it because it was one of the featured books recently for the book club Lily and I are a part of. Even the heavier bits of the book and TV show make you feel hope and are so healing.

Damon smiles down at me. “I was honestly thinking the same thing. But . . . But I hope I can be that for you too. Before you freak out, obviously I don’t mean to take Lily’s place, but to find one of my own, as someone who’s always there for you.”

I pick up the remote and pause the TV before turning to look at him. “You already are, Day.” I lean in and give him a peck on the lips. “You’re already someone invaluable to me.”

This time, he leans in for a peck, and I can feel the smile form on his lips. He gently nudges my mouth open with his lips and kisses me softly. We move closer to each other, quietly exploring as we caress each other. The kiss grows more passionate by the minute with our growing lust and need.

We stay on the couch for so long, I can feel that my lips are swollen, but the heat between my legs needs immediate release. We both look at each other with fire in our eyes and nod in silent agreement—it’s time.

“Tested?” I ask.

“Cleared and good to go.” I grab his hand and direct him to my bedroom.

“Same. Condom?”

“I have one in—” he starts.

Eyeing him, I say, “I’m on the pill . . .”

“Okay . . . Do you want to . . . ?”

I let out a shaky exhale, my need clouding every thought. “I want to feel every last inch of you filling me. I don’t want any barriers.”

Smirking at me, he says, “I definitely won’t be saying no to that.”

My lips crash into Damon’s as we try to go through my door, not able to wait another moment.

“God, you’re so perfect,” Damon says between kisses. He grabs me by my ass as leverage to lift me, and I wrap my legs around his waist.

“Aren’t you smooth?” I giggle into his lips. “Ugh. I cannot wait for this.”

“I’ve been waiting for this since the first night I met you.”

We make it to the bed, and I push off him enough to get his fucking shirt off of him. “Yeah, right.” I’ve never been more grateful that my room is practically soundproof.

Grabbing my face with one hand, he makes sure I look him in the eyes before he says, “I knew from that first moment I laid eyes on you that you were trouble.” I pout at him. “I mean trouble in the best way possible. Because we are two misfits who need a bit of crazy to handle us.” That makes me smile.

“My first thought when I saw you was ‘this is goingto be fun,’” I tell him.

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