♡☆♡☆♡

I moved toward him as he leaned against the cruiser in the autumn sunlight. He spread his legs, allowing me to step between them. His hands went to my hips, fingers tugging on the hem of my work shirt, my name stitched in red on my chest. He said, "Hey," and "Hi," and "Hello," and I knew I would do whatever it took. He never stopped fighting for me. I needed to do the same. For him. For myself. For us.

ALT

Fireflies rose around us, pulsing slowly. At first there were only two or three, but then more began to hang heavy in the air. They were yellow-green, and I wondered how this could be real. Here. Now. This moment. How I ever could have forgotten this.

"Tell everyone that Ox is under Bennett protection and if anyone so much as looks at him funny, I'll break their arms. Don't fuck with Ox." "You didn't have to do that," I said quietly as Carter and Kelly pulled me away. Carter had his arm around my shoulders and Kelly held my elbow. "They go away eventually." "Fuck that," Carter snarled. "They don't touch you, " Kelly growled. "Ever."

"I could use a haircut." He said "yeah" and "me too." He pushed a hand through the thick mop on the top of his head, blond fading darker. He had the beginnings of his own beard, like he hadn't shaved in a week, but it was scraggly and thin. He was just a fucking kid.