The Ballad of Never After (Once Upon a Broken Heart, #2)

by Stephanie Garber

“The truth is never what you want it to be, Little Fox.”

She used to think love was like a house. Once it was built, a person got to live in it forever. But now she wondered if love was more like a war with new foes constantly appearing and battles creeping up. Winning at love was less about succeeding in a battle and more about continuing to fight, to choose the person you loved as the one you were willing to die for, over and over.

“Where were you?” she asked. “I was killing innocent maidens and kicking puppies.”

“And you should have told me this right away.” “Why, so you could kill him?” “Yes.”

“It hurts, Jacks.” “I know, love. I’m going to take you somewhere safe.”

“I mean … it’s just one night,” he said softly. “In the morning, you can forget it. You can go back to pretending you don’t like me, and I can pretend that I don’t care. But for tonight, let me pretend you’re mine.”

She meant to say, For tonight, I’m yours, but all that came out was “I’m yours.”