I'm alone again in the house, but luckily for me, Habit cleaned up all the blood and guts and other ... things. I wouldn't want to be in a house that smelled so much like blood and death that I felt like I'd vomit.
I eat, and then I go out on the front porch and read for a while. Then, after that gets boring, I head back into the house. I'm halfway up the stairs when Habit crashes into me. I yelp, nearly falling down the stairs, but he scoops me up in his arms (which are blood-speckled) and carries me to the room.
"I've missed you," I tell him as we sit on the bed. Raging hormones once again flare up in my chest, and all I want to do is start making out.
"Yeah? I missed you too," he says.
"What happened? Did Vinny ..."
"He's fine. They're both fine. This blood belongs to a Dog," he answers.
"More of them?"
He nods. "A lot more. And the one nearly took my head off with my own damn machete."
"I'd say "how poetic of him" but I think that'd be in bad taste," I say, making Habit laugh.
Something about his laugh makes me feel all warm and tingly inside.
I'm sure I'm not the only girl who feels that way.
"Yeah, but it's funny nonetheless," he says. "Vinny is in his room if you want to see him."
"Okay, but I want to see you," I say to him. I rest my hand on his knee. "Talk to me. What's eating at you?"
"I'm not good for you," he whispers.
"What?"
"I said I'm not good for you."
"What do you mean by that?"
He turns to me, taking my hands in his. "You are everything that is good and light in this world, y/n. Life may have dealt you shit, but you didn't become spiteful or vengeful or anything. I did. I became everything that's dark and evil. I ... I love you, y/ n, and because I love you, I can't let you waste your life loving me."
"Shouldn't I get to pick who I spend my life with? Shouldn't I get to choose who I love? I love you, Habit. And I don't want anybody else."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive." I take his face in my hands and lean against him. "I wouldn't want to love anybody else, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Doing anything else. I love you."
"I love you too."
"Now come on, we need to get you cleaned up. Let's go, Habby."
"Habby?"
"Yeah, I don't know."
This time when he laughs, it's genuine. And he embraces me, holding me close, so his hips touch me.
And I could stay there forever.
