Page 104 of Dark Love

“Tea sounds wonderful.” But his calm acceptance feels even better.

Vex gives me one last squeeze and carefully pulls away from me. “It’s just about lunchtime. I could order us something to eat.”

He’s not running away in disgust. “Pizza sounds good. There’s a great place that delivers just a block or two away.” That’ll give me time to clean up, shower, and change the sheets.

“Any toppings you like or dislike?” Vex takes my half-empty glass from the nightstand.

“I’m not picky. Whatever you want is good with me, except for anchovies or pineapple.” How can people eat salty fish on pizza? “They have these amazing garlic knots. And cannoli. Oh, cannoli sounds so good.”

He smiles down at me and reaches out to brush away a stray tear from my face. “Do they have anything that resembles a vegetable there?”

“You and your healthy stuff. They have a spectacular antipasto.”

“One of these days you’re going to slip up and eat a vegetable.”

“Yes, Mom.” I wink at him.

He turns away with a smile playing on his lips and stops right before the stairs. “Dahlia.” The tone of his voice is startlingly different.

Firm?

Confident.

“I’m going to give you the privacy you asked for, but hear me when I say this. There’s nothing about your body that will ever bother me. And I mean nothing. You don’t need to feel uncomfortable about a little blood. Or vomit. Or anything that might ever come out of your body. So, this one time, I’m walking away, but you need to figure out how to relax around me. Because I’m not going anywhere the next time.”

He means it. Those aren’t just words men say to pacify women. A tear pools in the corner of my eye again. “That sounds like a threat.”

“It’s a promise.” With that, he turns back to the steps.

I can’t just let him walk away not knowing how much those words mean. “Vex.”

His head swings around.

“Thank you.”

He nods.

***

A shower and a change of clothing can totally change my mood. I step out of the bathroom ready to face the challenge of changing my sheets, and then finding another blanket for Vex.

Especially with pizza to look forward to—

What happened to my bed?

Everything is different from the purple stripe sheets to the purple and pink quilt I made with my grandmother when I was sixteen.

What happened to my bed?

My phone beeps.

Vex: Ready for me to come up? The pizza is here.

He’s done so much more than just order a pizza.

Me: Sure. Can I help carry anything up?

Vex: Nope. I’ve got it.

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