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I challenge her with my stare.You better go along with the plan, Nel.
But she wants to toy with me today, scratching at her jaw, pretending to think about it. “Umm… nah, I’ll pass. I’ve got a hot date.” She flings her arms around Poppy and gives her an extra squeeze. Then, she gives me another hug, tip-toeing in her stilettos to whisper in my ear, “Good luck.”
Left alone, I stoop to pick Poppy up, striding across the grass with her in my arms. We part the crowds like Moses did the Red Sea, and she playfully beats on my chest, flustered. “You know I can walk again, right? Have been doing fine on my own for the last year or so.”
“Call it a habit. Besides, those heels look lethal.”
She doesn’t protest anymore, happily leaning against me until we reach the Bentley. “Where are we going?” She asks, resting her hand on my thigh as I drive away from the red-bricked buildings and join the Interstate.
“It’s a surprise.”
“Hmm. I’m not sure if I can handle any more Quinn surprises.”
“Well buckle up. Orna’s planning a big bash atGatsby’sfor you when we get home.”
She laughs. “It’ll be her graduation party too, soon.”
“Uh-huh. Only six months until she finishes her accounting and finance degree at Boston College.”
Poppy squeezes my hand and whispers, “Thank you.”
“For what?” I ask, trying to focus on the road ahead.
“Sticking to my condition.”
I pause for a moment, letting the hum of the radio fill the silence. “Check the glove compartment.”
“Is it a graduation present?” She teases.
“One of many.”
She rummages around and fishes out the small bronze coin. A squeal escapes her lips as she studies it and she clutches it to her chest. “I’m so proud of you, baby.” Then, she picks up her purse from the footwell and gives it a shake. It rattles like a bag of marbles. “I’ll add it to my collection.”
One bronze chip means one year sober. I give Poppy every one of my chips as a reminder of my commitment to her.
I bring her hand to my lips, enjoying the sensation of her soft skin.
“You’re quiet. What are you thinking about?”
I pause, then say, “I was your demon for years. I never thought you’d free me from my own.”
* * *
POPPY
“Le Papillon?” I snap, folding my arms and staring out of the windshield. “Really?
Lorcan’s face melts into concern and he tilts my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. “I have good reason, I promise,” he whispers, landing a soft kiss against my lips.
With his strong hand gripped in mine, I feel the trust growing and follow him into the restaurant.
Everything’s the same. Velvet booths, soft amber lighting, and nobody here apart from us.
The hostess guides us to the same table I saw the Devil sitting at two years ago. I’m thankful that the server that comes out from the red velvet curtain isn’t the petrified woman whose face is permanently etched into my memory.
“This is where it all started,” I say, scanning the restaurant as Lorcan pulls out the chair for me.
The night I walked through the doors to see the Devil darkening the shadows feels like a million years ago, not only two. And it couldn’t be more different. When he drapes the napkin over my naked thigh, I shiver with pleasure instead of shake with fear. When the server brings out a large chocolate cake with a comically small candle, I laugh as Lorcan feeds me my first bite with his fork.
