Page 86 of The Prodigal

“Four,” he continues, “three.”

“Okay, okay. I’m going.”Geez.

Taking the marker, I draw a heart in the bottom corner, before writing my name in the center. “Your turn.” I shove the marker at Remington’s chest.

“No.”

He folds his arms across his chest, refusing to take the marker.

“Remember this feeling tonight,” I threaten, “when you’re eating food and not my pussy. Ask yourself if your defiance is worth it.”

I, too, can play this game.

“Don’t threaten me, love.” His cheek twitches, fighting back a smile. “You might enjoy the consequences.”

He steps forward and plucks the marker from my fingers.

This isn’t like last time, when we were in Alabama and coincidentally discovered that sign with all the other travelers.

Remington chose to come here.

He chose this sign—a blank canvas just for us.

My villain, the hero, who charms me with his lies and loves me with his truths.

“Stop staring at me,” he snaps, positioning the tip of the marker inside the heart, “or I’ll scribble out your name and draw a dick instead.”

He’ll do no such thing, but I love the threat all the same. “Now, you’re just making me blush, 101.” I clutch my heart. “Who knew you were so romantic?”

I did.

I knew he would make me feel like the most cherished girl in the world.

“There.” He shoves the marker at me. “I signed my fucking name.”

Leaning around him, I take a look at the wooden sign and gasp.

He didn’tjustsign his name.

I didn’tjustsign mine.

When we’re together, we aren’t Eden and Remington.

Here, on the coast, away from everyone we’ve ever known, we’re simply us.

We’re Adam and Eve.

“Oh, wow.” I breathe in sharply, taking in every detail like it’s a rare piece of art.

The way the last letter of his name goes outside the lines of the heart I drew just to be a rebel. The way our names look together, next to each other, with his sharp lines and my soft loops.

We can’t be defined—we are but a contradiction.

But here, at this beach, with our names written in ink, we are eternal.

Shrugging, I shake off the feelings clouding my head and lighten the mood. “Look at that. You didn’t explode.”

He cuts me a look that says I should hush and leave this alone. “Maybe you should come closer just in case karma is late.”

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