Page 20 of Dark & Deceitful

“Not this time, I didn’t. ’Cause I’m involved. I figured you’d let someone else step in.”

“You don’t scare me, Dark. I just don’t like you.” Which is mostly true.

“No. You love me.”

I shake my head at his level of ridiculousness. “In your dreams.”

“Every night.” He winks again, and out pops those charming dimples.

Smiling, despite his arrogance, I snort. “You’re impossible.”

“Kali. For real. I’m sorry about everything. You know this. I also know me showin’ up this morning was fucked. I know you and Pops have a solid relationship. It tears me up in here sometimes.” Dark taps the center of his chest with two fingers.

“All the time,” I counter.

“Yeah. All the time,” he agrees with a nod. “I fuckin’ hate he gets to be close to you, but I can’t.”

“You made that choice. I didn’t.”

“I know.”

“Then stop takin’ it out on me. I’ve accepted you’re my neighbor. I love Lily. I’ve tried time and time again to be friendly with Abby, but she hates my guts, and I don’t blame her for that. I don’t take it too personally. Showing up here to tell me this tonight, when it could have waited until morning, was low, Dark. I was in there with my friends having fun.” I point to the storefront behind me.

“You were gonna fuck Angel again,” he growls.

“Yes. I was.” There’s no use in denying it. I’m a single woman. I can have relations with whoever I want—end of story. I won’t be cowed. Not by him. Not by anyone.

Standing to his full height, Dark clenches his jaw, blows out the world's longest breath, and unfurls smoke into the sky. “Christ, Kali, I don’t want you fuckin’ Angel. He’s my goddamn brother, and you’re my wife.”

“I’m only your wife by paperwork, Dark. Stop that shit.” I’m tired of this. At some point, he has to let it go. Move on. I have.

“No. I sure as fuck won’t. I love you.” To prove his point, Dark lifts his hand to show me his wedding ring. The same ring I slid on his finger the day we married at the park. We were kids then. I was still a teenager. It was three days after I earned my GED. The rings weren’t top-of-the-line, but they were matching white-gold bands with an intricate carving—a gift from Sunshine. That was so long ago. It feels like another life.

To pound into his head that we aren’t on the same page, I raise my left arm and push down the jacket sleeve to show him what he already knows. There’s no ring on my finger. I took it off the week after he returned with Abby and Lily. It’s stored ina velvet bag in the top drawer of my dresser, with all the other keepsakes.

Needing to stay on task and away from our relationship status, I focus on why he’s interrupting my night in the first place. “Send me the details when you have them. I’ll give the sisters a heads-up that I’ll be gone a while.” To get back to the tasting, I shrug off Dark’s coat and return it to its owner.

Said owner shakes his head, pushing my hand away. “Keep it. Give it back to me in the morning when I drop by to talk about the details of our trip.”

“This isn’touranything, Dark.” I throw the jacket onto the back of his bike seat and pivot on my heel to get the hell away from him.

“See you in the morning, wifey,” he calls to my retreating form.

Fuck him.

I flip my ex the bird as Dina opens the door from the inside to welcome me back. His responding boom of laughter sends an eerie chill down my spine.

I dunno what I just agreed to, but I sure as hell hope I don’t live to regret it.

All my family’s eyes are on me as I stroll back into my shop, checking to see if I’m okay. That’s what matters. Them. What we’ve made together. As I join Sunshine at the bar, my heart grows three whole sizes, just like the Grinch.

No words are exchanged as he draws me between his spread legs and cups my face in his hands. Our gazes meet, and he waits for me to speak. His breath is warm and soaked in rich beer as it wafts across my face. I drink him in—his kindness, the concern etched across his forehead, his… justhim. It’s hard to explain, so I won’t even try.

“You ready to go home, Sweets? Or you wanna dance with me?”

The song changes to “Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton.

Sunshine doesn’t await my reply when he removes his hands from my face, stands, and pulls me to the center of the room, to our makeshift dancefloor on nights like tonight. Till, being Till, lowers the overhead lights as I sway to the beat of one of my favorite songs, in the arms of the only person who makes me feel safe.

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