Page 170 of Pucking Sweet

“I didn’t do anything,” he replies with a shrug. “And that’s the fucking problem.”

“What do you mean?”

“She told me she loved me, and I didn’t do anything. I didn’t say anything. Well, actually, I told her to take it back, and when she said no, I walked the fuck away.”

“Fucking hell,” I mutter. “What prompted her to say that she loved you?”

“We were arguing.”

“Naturally.”

“I told her to stop accepting shitty things, and to fight for what she wants, and that made her mad. Then I got mad and told her if she didn’t fight, I was gonna fight for her. So, she told me she loved me and said I betternotfight for her, or she’ll hound me to the ends of the earth.”

I fight a smile, picturing the chaos of that moment perfectly in my mind. God, she’s so beautiful and fierce. It doesn’t bother me at all that she told him she loved him before she said the words to me. I know exactly how Poppy feels about me. That woman loves with her whole being. To be loved by Poppy is to be wrapped up body and soul in her goodness, her light.

I love her too. I’d say it every hour of the day if she’d let me. But I’m going to appreciate her timing here. She’ll say it when she’s ready. Once she does, there’ll be no holding me back.

In the meantime, I get to watch these two circle each other like sexy cats in a bag, which is highly entertaining.

“She loves you, Nov.”

“I know. Fuck me if I know why.” He glances my way. “Do you think I can get her to stop?”

“Do you really want her to stop?”

He looks away. “I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how to be this guy.”

“What guy?”

“Mr. Dependable. I don’t know how to be the guy who answers the phone and remembers the detergent and always minds his manners.”

I chuckle. “I’m sorry, did she tell you that she loves you, or did she ask you to get a personality transplant?”

He glares at me. It looks extra menacing with that face full of gnarly stitches. “What the hell are you talking about?”

I sigh. Seriously, of all the defensemen she could’ve picked, I’m yoked to this one forever? “Nov, she lovesyou. This shitty version of you right here.” I gesture at him lying in the hospital bed. “Theversion who steals all my food like a feral raccoon, can’t appreciate the benefit of lamps, and buys new clothes instead of doing laundry. This imperfect, annoying, selfish person. She’s not asking you to change.”

He narrows his eyes at me. “I appreciate your lamps, asshole.”

I smile. “I’m not asking you to change either…though the clothing habit is wasteful. I’ve already scheduled a laundry service for you.”

He looks up at the ceiling. “She deserves better than this.”

I tense. “Better than what?”

Slowly he turns to look at me again. “You’ve been watching all this bullshit unfold the same as me. You really want to put her in the middle and let people say that shit about her, aboutus?”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying if I back off, then the two of you can come out as dating and just be a free, normal couple. No media hassle, no bullshit, no wacko keyboard warriors saying you’re going to hell.”

“We were bound to get some of that anyway,” I say with a shrug.

“What? Why?”

“Racism is still alive and well. Not everyone supports interracial dating.”

“That is so fucked up,” he mutters.

---