Page 18 of Wreaking Havoc on my Heart

Havoc barks out a laugh at that, a sound I’m beginning to truly love.

“Out of all the names in the world, you picked Francis?”

He sits on the bed next to me, and I wrap my body around him in a hug with Francis right in the middle—making a unicorn sandwich.

“I just imagined what I thought your real name might be and picked that.”

When I grin at him, he pulls me closer and tickles me. I die of laughter in his arms and he chuckles along with me.

“You think I look like a Francis then?”

I shrug. “Maybe a Eugine.”

He shakes his head at me. “Don’t you remember seeing my blade? My name starts with a T.”

I ponder on that for a moment, lifting my finger to my chin as if I were deep in thought.

“Okay, so Theodore.”

“Like the chipmunk? That’s how you see me?”

I pinch his cheeks. “A cute little chipmunk.”

He bats away my hand. “Try again, rainbow girl.”

“Fine,” I sigh. “But this is the last time I’m changing his name. I haven’t even had him for an hour and he’s had three different names.”

“Oh, well good thing he’s an inanimate object.”

I gasp as I pull my new friend between us.

“How dare you talk about Tobias that way.”

Havoc goes still under me and clears his throat.

“I like that one,” he says, his voice raspy and not at all like him.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m good.”

“Havoc.” I take his face in my hands as he tries to look away. “What’s wrong?”

His throat bobs and I feel it just under my fingers.

“Vi, she was the last person to ever call me that.”

My eyes go wide. “Holy shrimps on a stick, did I actually just guess your real name?”

He nods and I wrap my arms around him, keeping him close. These men don’t talk about their real names with anyone. Part of me is even surprised his wife knew it. I pull back to look him in the eye.

“This will stay between us, I swear.” His hands dig into my hips. “And I don’t have to call him that.” I point to the stuffed unicorn that is now smashed between our bodies.

“I think that’s the perfect name for him. I want to know that you go to sleep with him tucked under your arm every night. I want to know he’s what makes this life a little more bearable.”

I feel like we’re no longer talking about a stuffed children’s toy.

“I want you to look at him and see everything I see in you.”

---