Page 43 of She is the Darke

“I like that and I want that, shiny paper is one of my favorite things, and these are very fine acorns,” she murmured, studying them.

“I’ll save my gum wrappers for you too, ya little weirdo.”

“Thank you,” she said, clutching his presents tight in her hand.

“I have three more acorns in the cupholder of my truck. I’m saving them for the next time you’re mad at me.”

He leaned down and lifted her up in a hug, wrapped her legs around himself, and grabbed her ass with both hands as he kissed her. His kiss turned gentle, and he swayed her side to side as she hugged his neck.

Demi disengaged from his lips and asked, “What size are the acorns in your truck?”

“One is round and big, and one is lean and half the size, and one is more green than brown.”

She didn’t mind him seeing how pink her cheeks were probably turning. It was from pleasure, not embarrassment. “I really like those.”

“And paperclips and safety pins and coins. I’m constantly looking on the ground for that stuff.”

“You get me,” she said. “Even when I’m semi-mean, you understand how to put the fire out.”

“You mispronounced ‘all-the-way mean.’ I also brought you an iced coffee and one of those breakfast sandwiches from Marty’s, because Rachel said you were going to stab me the next time you saw me on account of the Danielle pics. I really missed your tits last night, and hated sleeping alone.”

“Yeah?” she asked, certain she loved this man now.

“Hated it. If we’re fighting, you gotta let me stay in it so I can remind you who you belong to before your fire is all the way out.”

“Oooh, you’re one of those boys who needs an occasional fight.”

He leaned in and nipped her neck. “I know what I have, and I’m not going to try to cause problems with my woman…but if we argue, I want the fun parts too.”

“Noted, and I’ll work on staying in the fight.”

God, he was putting her heart at ease.

He could handle her—all the unsteady parts of her that would chase away lesser men.

Her crow had known what she was doing all those years ago when she saw the potential in Tyler.

For the first time in as long as she could remember, she was glad she wasn’t normal.

She was proud of her animal. Proud of what she was building. Proud that she had a man who wanted to stick with her even in the hard times.

He was going to teach her how to have a relationship, and she was going to teach him the same. Their messes matched. Here in this moment, legs wrapped around him, looking down at his face as he described this oak tree he’d found in town, she knew she’d stumbled upon something special. Something people looked their whole lives for. Oh, she was going to mess it up. He was also going to have moments where he messed it up too, because they were not perfect people.

But thankfully, neither of them had ever pretended to be, and there was something beautiful about their chaos.

She respected a man who could manage her spitfire tendencies and run-away tactics—and still show up, and still hold himself accountable, and still try to understand her. He was dominant but not domineering, and that balance was exactly what she needed.

She’d told him once that everything would be okay, and she’d been right.

Everything had turned out okay.

Epilogue

October 31st

Today was Demi’s favorite day of the entire year.

She had met up with Tyler, Rachel, and Griffin, and walked the neighborhood, lit up in all its spooky glory, with hundreds of kids running around excitedly with heavy bags of candy and dressed as anything and everything. There were judges and awards for the best decorated homes, and when she and the others reached the end of the road, at the back entrance to the pumpkin patch, she’d learned that her houses had taken the top five awards. Danielle’s décor hadn’t earned anything.

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