Page 99 of Make Me Bleed
“Crazy for you,” I mutter against his throat, and he snorts.
“What am I gonna do with you?”
“Fuck me, preferably,” I breathe softly, and Gabe takes a step back.
“Woah, oh. I am not a part of this conversation, thank you.” And then, he starts walking toward the doors.
Peris leans down and kisses me—hard. I lose my breath as he steals it from my lungs.
“I can’t believe you did that for me,” he says against my lips when he finally pulls back and rests his forehead against mine. His hair tickles my face.
My throat feels closed off as I rasp, “I would do anything for you. Don’t you see that?”
“I do now,” he whispers. And that’s when I feel it. The tightening in my chest that bursts at those words.I believe him.
And isn’t that crazy. To know and believe and be in love with someone.
To be willing to do and go through anything for them, consequences be damned.
I’ve never felt that way for anyone before.
And here I am, bonded out of jail for Peris fucking Baxter.
Peris leans down to kiss me again, and I flush when Gabe lets out a loudwhoop.
“Come on, jail birdie, let’s go get some breakfast!” Gabe shouts down the long hall, and if my face wasn’t hot before, it sure as shit is now. I hiss as him, but he probably can’t hear me over his own galivanting.
“Might as well try to ignore him. He’s just trying to get a rise out of you.”
“I know. He’s a fucking brat.”
Peris snorts as he shifts on his crutches. “That’s ironic coming from you.”
“Fuck you,” I snap playfully, and he shoots me a wicked grin when I hold the door open for him.
As I step out into the fresh January air, I realize how stuffy and stagnant it is in there, and I breathe it in readily.
“Where are we going for breakfast?” I ask when we get to the car. I help Peris into the front seat, holding his crutches as he dips down, and then handing them to him.
“Thanks, puppy.” I lean down to kiss him before closing the door because how can I not? And when I stand back up, I catch Elise’s smile on the other side of the car, and I flush all over again.
“Let’s get pancakes,” she says. “With lots of syrup,” she adds with a wink before getting in the driver’s seat, and I smile, knowing she added that just for me. I get in behind Peris and buckle my belt.
I’ve honestly never felt better in my life despite the last twelve hours.
They came for me… myfamily.
They got me out, and we’re going to fucking breakfast to celebrate, and it all feels so surreal, but it’s happening.
Peris thanked me and kissed me… and fuck.
This is really my life now.
I lean forward in the seat until my ear is pressed against the head rest by the seat belt.
“I love you, Peris,” I whisper to him, and I watch blood bloom on his cheeks as Elise pulls out of the parking lot and onto the main road.
He clears his throat, then swallows. “I love you, too, Abel.”
