Lor (Monstrous, #7)

by Lily Mayne

And its ears were tiny. Rounded at the top. I eyed them in alarm. Had someone maimed it? How cruel.

Sow those wild oats, you know? Or, I mean, not so wild, if you’re in a committed relationship. Sow those committed oats, my man.”

“I haven’t really achieved much, but making the decision to come back here, to meet you properly, is the thing I’m most proud of in my life,” he told me quietly. “I love you, Lor. I don’t regret any of it. And that… that helps. It helps me accept what”—his breath shuddered out of him—“what’s going to happen. It was all worth it. I love you.”

“And we still have a bit more time,” he said as he pulled back, smoothing my hair from my damp face. “Let’s do something fun tomorrow. Well, as fun as it can get in this room.” He chuckled. “We’ll do whatever you want,” I whispered, twining our fingers together on the pillow between us and kissing his knuckles. “Anything. We will spend the whole day together.” He smiled back drowsily, eyes already slipping shut, face lined with exhaustion after his emotional onslaught. “Sounds nice.” The next morning, he didn’t wake up.

“I would wait my whole life for you,” he said quietly, trying to steady his voice even as tears continued to stream freely down his cheeks. He pressed his lips to my hand again. “I would wait forever for you, Jugs.”

I peppered kisses over his ears, his cheeks, his browbone and down his nose. When I reached his mouth I slowed down, lingering there for a long time, my eyes sliding shut in bliss as I clutched his face. I didn’t want to smother him—alright, I did want to smother him—so

A grin was spreading over my face, which was probably a weird reaction to have—I’d never been excited to take a shit before.