Marc Jillson & The Gazebo (Love Inscribed 2)

“I know,” said Mary.

“We’re interviewing you and Dan about how you etched your names into Lover’s Loop gazebo.”

“We can do that, too,” Dan said, and leaped into the story of how they met. “It was fate. Destiny. We both loved tuna sandwiches.”

Mary snickered. “The Grind made the best sandwiches and we finished the same math class before lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so we kept recognizing each other in line. Then one day . . .” Mary shook her head and sighed dramatically.

Dan took over. “There was only one tuna sandwich left.”

“And you bought it and gave it to Mary?” I asked.

Dan smirked at his wife and kissed her. “The other way around.”

Mary laughed. “Then he got a knife and cut it in half and we shared it.”

“Best thing I ever did,” Dan said. “We talked all afternoon, and—”

“You lived happily ever after,” I murmured.

Mary shook her head. “Not quite. We left, afraid to ask the other out. Unfortunately it was the end of semester, and we had different schedules after the summer.”

“What? Stupid,” I said, laughing.

Mary smiled. “You know it’s true love when you find a person who accepts you, stupid mistakes and all.”

“The thing about making mistakes though,” Dan said, “is that they have the potential to be lessons, if you learn from them.”

“How did you learn from your stupid mistake?”

“The next time I found her,” Dan said soberly. “I didn’t let her escape.”

That attitude was why Hunter’s parents had made it. “How did you find her?”

“That was the tricky bit.”

I grabbed the arm of Hunter’s chair, intrigued, fingers skimming a hummingbird at his forearm. “I want details.”

Mary and Dan laughed, and whispered in one another’s ear.

“You can’t leave me on a cliff like this.” I grabbed Hunter’s hand. “Tell them, Hunter.”

Hunter squeezed his fingers around mine, while Dan faced the camera and asked, “What would you have done in our situation?”

Hunter shook his head, thumb rubbing the back of mine. “Seriously, every time?” He looked at me. “They always do this.”

Mary nodded earnestly. “It gives us insight into your character.”

I grimaced. “Maybe we shouldn’t. You seem to like me so far.”

Dan laughed, and Hunter gave me a reassuring squeeze.

“I don’t know, buy all the sandwiches and tell the shop assistant to send anyone looking for a tuna sandwich to stop by my table?”

Mary laughed. “Close enough. Dan landed a job at the café hoping to serve me as a customer.”

“I started working on Monday morning, and on Monday midday, a new co-worker stepped in to help out with the lunch rush.” Dan paused. “Turned out it was Mary.”

“We both had the same plan.”

“And laughed so hard. We’ve been together since.”

“Awesome,” I said. “And the gazebo?”

“Third date. Picnic with tuna sandwiches,” Dan said.

Mary nodded. “I cut our names into it with his army knife.”

“The third date?”

She shrugged. “When you know, you know.”

Huh.

Hunter might be perfect for me, but he deserved better.

Horrible heaviness churned in my gut. I doubled my grip on Hunter’s hand until his parents said goodbye.

“Look after our boy,” Mary said.

“He doesn’t need looking after,” I said bluntly, then paused. “But if he did, I would.”

Dan’s beaming face was the last I saw before the call cut out.

I jumped to my feet and moved to pour a drink even though I wasn’t thirsty. “Like, nice parents.” I spilled juice down my chin. Fuck. I swiped it off.

Hunter watched me quietly.

“You know what we should do?” I continued. “Call Kyle and make the next possible appointment with him.”

“Hmm. In the morning.”

I gulped more juice. “Yeah, probably too late. Hey, did you ever find out who Victor’s rental agency is? Maybe you can help me scout studio apartments online. You know, something with good access for you to visit.” I set my glass down, finally realizing I never handed Hunter his. I slid it over the table. “Or Demon Slayage? I could go home and we can play.”

Hunter sipped his juice, blue eyes amused. “I have another laptop. We can play side by side. In bed, if you like?”

We were shoulder to shoulder in bed, pillows stuffed behind us. Reading lamps glowed softly over our laptops.

Hunter had changed into flannel pajama pants, torso bare except for toned skin and hummingbirds. I’d stripped to my boxers and Cheetos-stained tank top. With Hunter around, I didn’t need to drown in their cheesy goodness as often anymore.

Sure, he bullshitted his confidence from time to time, but his core was stronger than anyone’s I’d met.

DaMage: We need to talk.

Me: About the vampire mages?

DaMage: How are we going to address this?

Me: Chant, and throw holy water at their feet.

DaMage: Not the game.

Me: Figured. Look, I overreacted at Victor’s. And the graveyard.

DaMage: I guess we should talk about that too.

Me: You were right. Kyle fucked up. Victor did what he had to.

DaMage: It’s not as simple as Kyle fucking up.