Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 121310 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121310 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Why can't she just let us be happy now?
"Love?"
Domhn suddenly appearing in the doorway holding two coffees has me shrieking and bringing my hand to my heart.
"Fuck, I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's all right," I breathe out, grabbing some jeans I haven't worn in forever off the bottom shelf as a pretense for being on the floor.
I slip off my sleeping shorts and shimmy into the jeans. Domhn watches on, and I laugh at him. But he turns his back as I change my shirt, which makes me frown. Why on earth would he do that?
"I take it that's mine?"
He nods when I sidle up beside him, and he hands me my coffee, made just the way I like it with hazelnut creamer.
I take a sip and peek over the rim. "I love you, you know that?"
A grin lights his face. "I do, but I'll never get tired of you sayin' it, Mrs. Callaghan."
I shake my head with a laugh. "You know that's not official yet."
He takes the mug from me and immediately wraps a hand around my waist to bring me into him, eyes burning as he looks down into mine. "Then when can we make it official? Let's go to the courthouse this morning."
Now I'm really laughing. "I think you're the crazy one. I thought you wanted a big wedding with all the trimmings so our friends can come and dance?"
"Just 'cause it's what you deserve," he growls, "but I might be too impatient for it. Come on, you've got that sparkly dress in the back of the closet. We can take fancy pictures later, and isn't that all brides care about anyway?"
I scoff but look up into his eyes. He's entirely serious.
Okay, for real. What the hell happened last night between him and Mads to set a fire under his ass like this?
I break his gaze and nestle my face sideways against his chest. "We can move the date up, but that's all you're getting," I murmur into his chest.
As he squeezes me, I wonder about the triangle of secrets between my alter, my lover, and me. What aren't we telling one another? And how can we even think of getting married before we've begun to settle it and drag everything out into the light?
I try to bury the questions from my mind as I snuggle closer into Domhn's chest and lose myself in the strong, sure warmth of his grip on me.
FOUR
DOMHNALL
Dr. Ezra's office is quiet, filled with the soft hum of the air vent and the faint ticking of a clock that feels louder today.
Anna sits beside me, her spine rigid, eyes darting to everything but me. I can feel the tension coiling under her skin. I want to reach for her, but I wait, my hands knotted in my lap.
But then she shifts slightly, her knee brushing against mine—a touch so small it could be accidental. I know better. I glance sideways, catching the faintest flicker of vulnerability in her eyes before she looks away again. I can't resist any longer.
I reach over, my fingers sliding gently beneath her chin, tilting her face toward me.
"Anna," I whisper, my voice rough with everything I can't seem to say right. "Look at me."
She does, reluctantly at first, but then fully. Her eyes, that impossible shade of multi-hued hazel, are glassy with unspoken words. There's a fragility there that cracks something open inside me. Without thinking, I lean in, pressing my forehead against hers.
The world narrows to just us—no Dr. Ezra, no ticking clock, no invisible weight of expectations pressing down on our shoulders. Just the warm breath between us. Syncing. Me and the girl I've loved since before I ever really knew the meaning of the word.
"I miss you," I murmur, my thumb tracing the line of her jaw. "Not just when you're gone, but even when you're right here."
Her breath catches, then her fingers curl into the fabric of my shirt. It feels like she's grounding herself in me. Or maybe it's just because I'm the one who grounds myself in her. She's my tether to the feckin' earth.
"I miss you, too," she whispers back.
I kiss her then. Not rushed, not desperate, just... real.
A soft press of lips that says everything words can't. It tastes like hope. Like history. Like the first time and every time after. When I pull back, her eyes are closed, her lips parted slightly, and for a brief moment, she looks perfectly at peace.
I tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, my heart thudding like it wants to crawl into her chest.
"Whatever this is," I murmur, "we'll figure it out. Together."
She nods—the smallest movement—but it feels like a promise.
Then Dr. Ezra clears his throat gently, pulling us back to the present and the reason we're here.
He leans forward, his pen poised like it's waiting to strike. "I thought we'd continue working on communication between you and Mads today. Is there a particular reason you've brought Domhnall into session?"