Page 33 of Falling in Love with A Tiny Bat

Which means…

Stopping my cart by Sal’s, I glance back toward the fruit to find Alexios hasn’t moved. Stark horror consumes his eyes. Even from here, I can feel his distinct desire to eliminate himself from this plane of existence.

“Yeah,” I note, half smug. “It’s a big store.” Pulling my attention off my poor soulmate, I beam. “Anyway, how have you been? How’re Nancy and the kids? I saw pictures of your youngest’s wedding on Leopard.”

Sal waxes on for a little while about his life before suggesting that hebest get on with it. Once we’ve parted, Alexios inches his way back to my side—ghost white.

“That was uniquely the most terrifying thing I can recall experiencing at this exact moment,” Alexios breathes, clearly clutching Ash for emotional support. Shaken to his core, he whispers, “And I’ve lived with two beings made of fear up until two nights ago…”

“Uh-huh, uh-huh. That’s nice. I asked Sal if my jokes would make him uncomfortable, and he told me you were being a bigger baby than Ash. And, actually, heregularlyenjoys jokes about flirting with parental figures.”

Alexios scowls.

“It’s true. He told me himself.”

“He did not.”

“You were too far away to hear him.”

“I was not.”

I grin. “You’re attracted to your stepmother. I can’t wait to tell Kass how this eats you up at school on Monday.”

“I am in no way attracted to Kass.” He frees a forbearing sigh and shakes his head. Next thing I know, he’s up in my space, pressing me against the dairy section, Ash’s sleeping body the only thing between us, providing meager comfort. “Were I ever attracted to anyone else, they would hardly hold a candle to your beauty. Their forms might have fled my mind upon my first witnessing you. You are peerless, ethereal, transcending desire, surpassing adoration. That I can say with utmost honesty I have never been attracted to anyone beyond a mere momentary interest inamusementprior to having laid eyes upon you is fact that cannot be disputed.”

Dang, dude. “Don’t underestimate my debate skills. I can dispute just about anything.”

“I hope to never underestimate anything about you ever again, not after the first time when my urgency cost me everything I have ever wanted.”

“Did you really think it would be so simple to trick me into giving you everything?” Lifting a hand, I tap him in the forehead. “Did your little brain honestly gooh yes, I’m sure she’ll just blindly agree to my demands?”

His nose scrunches, and he lifts his free hand to his forehead. “I had hoped you’d be overcome by my appearance in the same way I am overwhelmed by yours. By the time you came out of the trance brought on by my handsomeness, it would be too late.”

I roll my lips into my mouth to hold my demeaningguffawat bay. “Not a—” I cough to clear the laughter from my voice. “—not a very detailed plan, was it?”

“It can be surmised that the prospect of having you put me in a position where my cognitive functions were inhibited.”

“Per chance, are you still in such a position,Mr. Handsome?”

A sly smile curves his lips as he steps back, freeing me frombeing confined next to the rows of cheese. “Unfortunately.”

“That must be so sad for you.”

“I assure you, it is causing me immense distress.”

I’m about to laugh when I remember he can’t lie. “You good, bro?”

Sighing, he glances in the cart. “How many times are you going to ask me that?”

“As many times as necessary. It’s within my core beliefs toyou good, broanyone who is behaving suboptimally. Almost positive it’s in the Bible.” Although, to be fair, it’s phrased more along the lines oflook out for the interests of others, not just your own.

You Good Brois the Zahra paraphrase. If King James could make his own version of the Bible, so can I. The rows of cheese things distract me, and I locate a tub of baby spinach raviolis. “Do you like spinach, or are you a monster?”

Alexios murmurs, “I am, quite literally, a soul-stealing creature born of despair.”

Not a spinach fan then. My eye catches on a slightly different variety of ravioli. “They have mushroom ones, too.”

The man actually gags.

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