Page 83 of Endless

Lizzie’s breathing increased, and I heard shuffling distinctly coming from her. Something had her scared.

“Talk to me or I’m gonna think someone’s coming to kill us.” I tightened my grip on Mr. Magic. “LizBelle.”

“Cracks—um—can we turn around?”

“I think Carl dropped us off a bit ahead. It’d be a long way around.”

“That’s okay. Right? You feel okay?”

“Great.” And I did. Better than I had in a while.

This girl was exactly what I needed. As ineveryday. Talking with her, hanging out with her, yeah, she was it.

“Okay. For my next question…”

“Can we stop the game for a minute?” She drew in a deep breath. “Cracks. Bridge. Can’t. We need to—can’t go around.Shit.”

I shifted her closer to me, and a wave of sugar scent flooded over me. “LizBelle. Talk. Now.”

“Can’t step on cracks. They’re—they—something bad will happen.” She breathed heavily. “Bad. Very bad.”

“You trust me?”

“Yeah.”

“Then hear me. Nothing will happen. I won’t let it.”

“You can’t stop it. No one can.” Her breaths were getting faster. “Damon. No one can. It’s—I—”

“Okay. Slow down. I don’t have a brown paper bag in my back pocket. Only a phone and possibly another sucker.”

She laughed. That was a good sign.

“Okay, so, do you really trust me?”

“Um, yes.”

“Then stand still.”

I stepped forward and found her shoulder with my left hand. Following it over the curve, down her arm, I found her waist. I shifted Mr. Magic to that hand, then traced my now free hand down her thigh to her knees.

“Damon?”

I slid my arm behind the back of her knees, bent mine, and hoisted her into my arms. She threw her arm around my shoulders and squealed. “What are you doing?”

“Hold on,” I whispered. “If you’re not gonna walk over this bridge, I’m gonna carry you over. Because I take care of my girlfriend. You and me, LizBelle. You and me.”

She nuzzled her nose to my neck and drew in a deep breath. “You and me.”

“Can I ask you a question, though?”

“I think it’s my turn.”

“Give me a break, I’m carrying you over a bridge.”

“Okay. Ask.”

I gulped, scared to hear the answer, yet I needed to hear it. Better now than later, because this chick was really rocking my world. “Are you really okay with the wholeyou and mething after what I did? I went absolutely apeshit when I found out about being permanently blind.”

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