“Shut up.”
“Are you cold?”
“Will you shut up, please? You know I’m not cold.”
He rolls me to my back, props himself up onto an elbow, and smiles down into my face.
The morning light worships him, highlighting the angle of his cheekbones, burnishing his dark hair richest bronze, glinting copper off the curving tips of his lashes.
And those eyes! For fuck’s sake, they might as well be priceless emeralds!
I whisper, “God, you’re beautiful. It’s sick.”
He throws back his head and laughs.
“I’m glad you find me so hilarious.”
Still chuckling, he kisses the tip of my nose. “I’m supposed to be the one paying the compliments.”
“You know what? You’re right. Go ahead. I’m waiting.”
Framing my face in his hands, he looks into my eyes and says softly, “There’s not a compliment in the world that could do you justice.”
I make the sound of a buzzer. “Wrong answer. Try again.”
Pressing his lips together to stifle his laughter, he drops his head and hides his face in my neck.
“Oh, my god. You suck at this!”
“I’m not used to giving compliments on demand.”
“Well, get used to it! I need a compliment, Mal. Like, now!”
He rolls to his back, drags me on top of his body, holds my hair back from my face, and looks into my eyes.
“All right,” he says, voice gruff. “Here it is. You make me wish I’d lived a different life. You make me wish I could go back in time and start over again. You make me think the world isn’t a shitty place after all, that goodness exists and happiness isn’t make-believe and true love is possible. You make me believe in miracles, Riley Rose. When I’m with you, I feel like my life hasn’t been such a waste.”
After a long, silent moment, I burst into tears.
“Oh, fuck,” he says, appalled. “It was that bad?”
I pound a fist on his shoulder and drop my face to his chest, sobbing.
“Sweetheart. Sweetheart, stop crying.” He wraps his arms around me and holds me tight.
“I never cried before I met you! I swear to god, I never cried once! And now look at me! I’m a wreck!”
“You’re not a wreck.”
“I’m wailing like a banshee!”
He chuckles, making his chest shake. “It’s good to see the exaggeration didn’t disappear in my absence.”
“Stop laughing at me, you jerk!”
He exhales, murmuring, “Ah, my little bird.”
Then he simply holds me while I cry it out until only the occasional sniffle is left.
Embarrassed by the outburst, I decide to pretend like nothing happened. I wipe my face and change the subject. “Is there still a dead bear outside?”
“I don’t know. Did you move it?”
“Ha. No, I didn’t move it.”
“Then there’s still a dead bear outside. I’ll take care of it today.”
“I lost my glasses when it attacked me, but I found another pair in that giant sack you brought.”
“That’s good.”
“Where did you get that, anyway?”
“I robbed an optometrist.”
I lift my head and look at him. “Is that a joke?”
“No.”
“You robbed an optometrist?”
“A store, not a person. No one was there at the time.”
“Oh. Okay.”
He smiles at my befuddlement. “You’re so fucking adorable. Why does that make you crinkle your nose?”
“Because people only use the word ‘adorable’ when they’re talking about small animals. Do I look like a small animal to you?”
He narrows his eyes and considers me. “A little like a chevrotain.”
“What the fuckety-fuck is a chevrotain?”
“It looks like a woodland creature from a fairy tale. It’s about the size of a rabbit, but resembles a deer. They have big ears, skinny legs, and cute little noses. Instead of antlers, the males have tiny fang-like tusks. Some people call it the mouse deer.”
I glare at him. “Do you have a death wish?”
“They’re adorable!”
“Say that word one more time. I dare you.”
“I think if you could see the tiny fang-like tusks, you’d have a change of heart.”
“Yeah, the tusks and the big fucking ears sound super charming!”
He dissolves into laughter, lying with his eyes closed, his head canted back on the pillow, and his arms squeezing me tightly. He laughs so hard, it shakes us both and the bed.