Page 467 of Dark Love

He reaches across our pile of sweet treats and tucks a hair that escaped my messy bun hours ago behind my ear. “I know. You’re cute when you ramble. But this isn’t easy to talk about.”

“Zipping my lips.” I slide the imaginary zipper closed and bite my tongue. That marshmallow disappeared all too quickly.

“My life wasn’t like yours. Most of it was spent with unsavory people on the street.”

“You lived on the street!” I slap a hand across my mouth to avoid blurting out anything else stupid.

“No. I always had a place to live. But most of my time was spent out on the streets dealing with people that I hope you never know exist.”

You knew his life was hard. Don’t cry. You know for them to think he’s a crime lord, Vex couldn’t have grown up normal.

“It’s common on the street to have a monicker. They can mean so many different things. But mine was given to instill fear. Vex was the one thing my father gave me that I don’t hate.”

Fear. Hate. Oh, that doesn’t sound good. I reach across and grab his hand. Whether it’s to comfort myself or him, I’m not sure. He doesn’t need a name to instill fear. A simple look is all it takes. Vex hates his father. Why? But I keep my lips sealed.

Vex pauses for a long moment, staring into my eyes.

Is he looking for fear? Or encouragement to go on? I’m not afraid of who he was or who he is now. Give him something so that he knows that. But I can’t give him words. The only thing left is a gentle squeeze of his hand combined with a nod.

Believe in me.

Trust me to know who you are regardless of your history.

“The story on the street is they call me Vex as a warning. Vex him and vanish.”

Vex vanish? “They think you kill everyone that irritates you?”

He nods, but his gaze never leaves mine.

Who lives in fear to the point that they give their child a name to shroud them in a cloud of violence? To hide the good man in a haze of evil? To take away a child’s sense of morality? “Why do you like it?”

“Because it’s who I am.”

“You’re not a senseless killer.”

“Why aren’t you crying and running away? A woman like you shouldn’t be defending a man like me.”

“A woman like me? I don’t know whether to be flattered or insulted.”

“Dahl.”

“Vex, I told you I love you. I’ve never said that to another man. My eyes are wide open. So, when you doubt me and think something as trivial as a nickname is going to scare me off, think again.” That sounded firm and determined.

“Never?”

“Not once.” Now say it back to me.

Silence echoes.

***

The pillows and blankets are definitely good for more than just sharing secrets. Cuddling up on a mound of pillows while reading a book is everything I wanted to do.

“Is your book that good?”

“Huh?”

“You’ve sighed four times, but I haven’t seen you turn a page.”

---