Page 124 of Twisted Violet
His body disappears into a plume of soft blue smoke and glitter.
And Rumi stares in horror at the space he left behind.
There’s a beat of silence.
Then.
Sniff.
Rome shifts in his seat like it’s suddenly too small.
Niko presses his thumb to the corner of his eye, jaw tight.
Dallas nudges my foot beneath the blanket.
I bury my face in my sleeve to keep from laughing.
“You guys good?” I ask, voice laced with fake innocence.
“I’m fine,” Rome says too fast, clearing his throat.
Niko doesn’t even look over. “It’s just... well animated.”
“Right,” I whisper. “Totally.”
The rest of the movie plays on, and we all fall quiet as the credits roll, upbeat music swelling in the background.
Ollie sighs deeply, shifting just enough to smother the remote under his chunky body.
Dallas reaches under him to fish out the remote, grumbling like it’s a hostage negotiation. Rome finally settles back into the cushions, arms crossed, but he doesn’t move away when I lean into him. And Niko grabs the remote and starts the movie over again without saying a word.
The room is warm and soft and cluttered with half-eaten snacks and mismatched socks and the quiet kind of peace that used to feel like a fantasy.
My guys, pretending not to cry over an animated K-pop movie. Me, pretending not to love them even more for it.
This ridiculous, beautiful mess. It’s ours. And this time, I don’t feel like I have to earn it.
I just get to keep it.
Forever.
