Page 108 of Hate Me Like You Do

“I thought you loved your major and can’t get enough of the classes?” Landon tugs his long brown coat over his chest.

“Oh, I don’t want to miss the classes. No. But I really, really want to play in the snow. Reed taught me how to throw a football once. Maybe he can give me pointers on how to throw a snowball.”

Reed chuckles. He jogs ahead of us smacking Dee right on the ass as he passes her with a taunting grin.

“If I recall, teaching you that ended with the three of us having to be nursed back to health. Sounds dangerous to me.” He collects what little snow has accumulated on a green bench against the building next to us and tosses it right at Dee.

“Oh no you didn’t.” She scrambles dropping her books to the ground and runs after him.

Reed’s sneakers shift on the slick ground with skill as he avoids her. The new letterman jacket with our college’s maroon coloring on it opens in the wind he creates. Easily, he dances behind her before twirling her around and planting a sloppy kiss right on her lips.

She melts instantly.

God, I want to kiss her. Watching this scene for now though will do. Landon scoops her books up from the ground drying them with his shirt.

“You really should take better care of these.”

Dee mocks him, walking up to take them back.

“Uh-uh.” He pulls her close before she can walk away.

“You all are so needy.” She kisses his lips slowly, pretending like she isn’t loving all the attention.

Landon hands her the books back and we pause finally reaching the nice apartment building we call our own.

“Ugh, can’t we just stay outside a little longer. It’s so beautiful.”

“It’s freezing out,” I finally say after we all watch her tip her face up to the snow fall.

“I’ll keep you warm, I guess.” She takes a few steps closer until her chest brushes mine.

My heart patters in my chest like it always does when she gets this close. Especially in public. It feels so weird letting whoever see us act this way. I shouldn’t care. No stranger has any clue who or what we used to be.

We’re different now. I’m different.

Because of her.

I wrap my arms around her and she sinks into me. I can’t actually feel her body heat through the black pea jacket she wears. I’ll act as if I do, just to hold her a little longer.

The four of us loiter outside the building, basking in the cold weather. Everything in New York is new. A new state, new names, new identity, new life. Some hand me downs from my father’s unlawfully successful business happened to come in handy. Works out great when I can testify against him and all the people who took his bribes.

I shattered his business. His Kingdom. I took swing after swing with the help of Officer Rowens. Now we are here. Happy.

Free.

Dee nestles into me when the breeze flicks her blonde hair across her face, her winter hat snuggly pulled over her ears. She’s not that little girl who killed her father last year but she’s a strong woman who knows that sometimes if you don’t strike first, you leave yourself open to be hurt.

That’s what all of this mess of a life has taught us.

That’s what she taught me.

I lean down, speaking low and quiet, my emotions held in my chest just for her. “Violet Demure.”

She hums at me but doesn’t stop the roaming of her gorgeous green eyes. She’s innocent and pure but in a way, she’s so much like me.

“I love you,” I whisper against her lips.

She’s the only person I’ve ever said that to. She’s the only person who made me understand what love is.

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