Page 25 of Light in the Dark (Heaven and Hell Duet 2)

“But she hit me!”

“Go home, Lila. That’s all we want from you. Please, just go home.” He releases her wrist and I’m completely surprised when she steps around us, actually leaving. FC kisses my temple and whispers, “You okay, love?”

“Yeah.” I release a deep breath. “I didn’t mean to hit her, but she said she wanted to be a mom to Sawyer and it really pissed me off.” I turn to face FC. “What kind of person is she? I could tell she was just saying that because she wanted to appeal to me and earn some sympathy.”

FC smiles. “I love you.”

“This is not a time to smile and tell me you love me. I hit your ex-girlfriend.”

FC shrugs. “That’s okay. I’m glad I was already on my way over here. Let’s go inside so I can hear all about your first day.”

He listens to me as I tell him all about my day while I cook dinner. And then he brings up the impending holiday: Valentine’s Day.

“Don’t make any plans because you have plans with me.”

I laugh. “Like I have someone else to make plans with.”

“I don’t know. It sounded like you and Teddy were getting along pretty well today,” he teases.

“He also knows I moved here for a guy. What are we going to do?”

FC wags a finger at me. “This is our first Valentine’s Day. I don’t plan to tell you what we’ll be doing. Besides, I’m still planning it,” he finishes with a laugh as he stands. “I should go home. I’m glad you had a good first day.” FC comes over to kiss me. “I’ll lock the door on my way out. Come over tomorrow, okay? I’m sure Sawyer would love to see you.”

“Just Sawyer?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.

He smiles. “Me too. You know I always love seeing you. Call me if you need me. Love you.”

“I love you too.”

FC heads out of my apartment and I watch him go. I can’t wait until Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day has finally arrived. It’s been a long time since I’ve been excited about this holiday. I’ve only wanted to spend it with FC and this is the first time I’ll be able to. While that makes me extremely excited, it also makes me nervous. FC must be nervous too. Imagine the pressure we’re under not to fuck this up. Our very first Valentine’s Day in the midst of so much stress and we’d like it to be a perfect, romantic night. A little bit of light in this dark world we’re surrounded by right now.

With a deep breath, I check myself in the mirror one last time. FC hasn’t told me any details about tonight. Maybe it was presumptuous of me, but I found a blue dress among my clothes. I can’t even remember the last time I wore this dress. It still fits pretty well, though. After smoothing some wrinkles, I decide I’m fully comfortable and ready for whatever lies ahead tonight.

There’s a knock on my door just as I walk out of my bedroom. A quick glance through the peephole shows that FC does indeed stand on the other side. I open the door and release a quick breath of relief at seeing that he’s dressed up too. FC’s eyes eat me up and his hands immediately grab my hips.

“You are beautiful.”

I grin. “Thank you. You’re pretty handsome yourself.”

“Maybe we should stay in tonight.”

“Nope,” I quickly shut him down. “We’ve been waiting for this for too long.”

He grabs my hands. “I know, but it was a really nice thought.” FC pulls me out of my apartment, allows me to lock the door, and then leads me toward the elevator. “We’ll have a nice time tonight.” He takes a deep breath. “I’ll do my best to stay focused on us and not check in on Sawyer, too.”

By this time, we’re on the elevator, heading to the ground floor. “It’ll be okay if you do check in,” I tell him. This is a stressful time and he’s still adjusting to spending more than his normal amount of time away from his son. I won’t be the one to tell him he can’t call whoever is keeping him tonight to see how he’s doing.

FC kisses me softly as the elevator doors part. “That’s why I love you.”

We catch up on our days while FC drives us to a restaurant that on the outside looks as if we’re entering a old, unused building. I’m worried about our safety, too. We had to walk down an alleyway to get to the door. But the inside is beautiful. Lights are dimmed, but lit everywhere to provide enough light that it’s not too dark.

We’re seated at a table for two along the way with a great view of the rest of the restaurant. On the other side, the cooks are actually in full view and not hidden away. What surprises me is that things are relatively quiet in here.

“Have I done well so far?” FC asks, bringing my attention back to him.

“Yes. How did you learn of this place?”

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