Page 73 of A Very No Strings Halloween
Donna looks so confused. “Tell him.”
“I don’t think it was Lars you were supposed to tell. He already knew how much Lara loved him.”
It’s like the whole rooftop is lit up by Donna’s bright eyes when it dawns on her what I’m talking about.
We both say at the same time, “I love you!”
She grabs my face. “I love you so much, Billy!”
“I love you so friggin’ much, Donna Fischer. I’m so crazy in love with you, and I don’t want anyone else. Just you. Only ever you. I’ve never been afraid of anything before, but I was so scared of scarin’ you away. I’ll do anything for you, and I want all the strings.”
“Me too! I’m still scared, but I’m not afraid to tell you I love you anymore, because you deserve to know how happy you make me. I love you so much I’m willing to face the pain of losing you someday.”
“Aw, you’re never gonnalose me, baby. Not evah. Now that I know I can haunt you from beyond the grave.”
I kiss her.
It’s the first kiss in a series of infinite kisses I’ll be giving this woman over the course of our life and beyond.
We’re standing on a roof in the middle of a storm, but I feel so solid about everything, nothing can ever knock me down again.
When our lips finally part, we realize the storm has suddenly lifted. And by that I mean it’s like it never happened. Aside from the wholeuprooted tree in the roofthing. The rain and the clouds have vanished, there’s no wind, the moon is shining bright, and the pale silver light makes everything look totally magical and serene. “I love magic,” I say quietly, in an admittedly not great Harry Potter impression.
Donna peers through the dormer window and into the attic. The light’s on again. “It looks like the hatch door is open.”
“Fuckin’ A.” I climb back inside and then help her through.
We check out the master bedroom and the rest of the house. It’s so quiet. Inviting and cozy, even.
“I think she’s really gone this time,” Donna says.
“Yeah. It feels different.”
“I hope they’re together now.”
“Me too.”
We survey the damage. Aside from the roof and the attic, it’s just the framed pictures that fell off the walls. But the damage to the roof and the attic is…extensive.
Donna sighs and laughs the resigned laugh of an exhausted homeowner. “Great. Now I’m gonna need a new roof too.”
I put my arm around her. “Well, this might be a good time to tell you that I’m a multimillionaire.”
Donna slowly turns to face me. “What?”
I shrug. “Yeah. I won the Massachusetts lottery before I won the hot-lady lottery and got into a no-strings thing with you, and now I’m kind of a big-deal investor and entrepreneur. So none of this is gonna be a problem. I’ll hire the right people, and we’ll fix it up.”
Donna snakes her arms around my neck. “You’re always going to be full of surprises, aren’t you, Mouth?”
“You know it, Red. For the rest of our lives and after. Happy Halloween, baby,” I say, grinning. “You sure know how to show a guy a good time.”
She laughs. Dropping her head and chuckling quietly at first, her shoulders shaking. Then she throws her head back and I get to hear the most joyful laugh I’ve ever heard from her. The laugh of a hard-working woman who finally knows that she’s won the heart of a man who will show her a good time until the end of all time.
EIGHTEEN
Donna
THE RING
