MARRY YOUR KILLER
Chapter Fifty: The Confession
---
The morning after Honey's warning, the house was chaos.
Percy was in the kitchen, making breakfast, his voice louder than usual. He was still recovering from Honey's threat. He had been quiet for exactly four hours. Now he was back to his old self, talking about the warehouse, about the fight, about the moment he had taken down three men with his bare hands.
Aries was beside him, their hand in his, their face soft. Yuri was in his corner, his arms crossed, his face cold. But his eyes were on Percy. They were always on Percy.
Ci N was on the sofa, his phone in his hand, reviewing the footage from Honey's call. Felix was beside him, his head on Ci N's shoulder. "You got her threatening Percy," Felix said. "That's gold."
Ci N grinned. "I got everything."
---
Care was in the garden.
She was kneeling by the flowers, her hands in the soil, her face turned toward the sun. The roses were blooming. Red and white and pink, the colors she had planted after the mud fight. The garden was beautiful now. The grass was green. The steps were clean. The fence where Jay had thrown mud at Keifer was still stained.
Cole stood at the edge of the garden. He had been standing there for ten minutes. His hands were in his pockets. His face was pale. He was watching her.
She didn't look up. "You're staring."
He walked to her. He knelt beside her. His hands were empty. "I'm observing."
She looked at him. His face was close. His eyes were bright. "Same thing."
He didn't answer. He was looking at her hands. At the soil on her fingers. At the flowers she was planting.
"You're good at that," he said.
"I'm good at a lot of things."
He smiled. It was small. Nervous. "I know."
She waited. He didn't speak. He was sitting beside her, his hands in his lap, his face turned toward the house.
"You're quiet," she said.
"I'm thinking."
She put down the flowers. She turned to face him. "What are you thinking about?"
He looked at her. His face was close. His eyes were steady.
"I'm thinking about the first day we met," he said. "In Keifer's house. You threatened to kill me with a scalpel."
She almost smiled. "I remember."
He moved closer. His hand was on the ground beside hers. "I've been thinking about that day for months. About the way you looked at me. About the way you held that scalpel. About the way you didn't cut."
She looked at his hand. Close to hers. Not touching.
"You've been annoying me for months," she said. "You've been following me. You've been sitting beside me. You've been—"
"I've been in love with you," he said.
The garden went quiet. The birds stopped singing. The wind stopped blowing. The whole world stopped.
Care looked at him. His face was close. His eyes were bright. His hands were shaking.
"What did you say?" she asked.
He took her hand. His fingers were warm. His grip was steady. "I love you. I've loved you since you threatened to kill me. I've loved you since you put that scalpel away. I've loved you since you let me sit beside you. I've loved you since you didn't tell me to leave."
She stared at him. Her face was calm. Her eyes were not.
"You're annoying," she said.
"I know."
"You're loud."
"I know."
"You follow me everywhere."
He smiled. "I know."
She kissed him.
It was quick. Soft. A kiss that said everything she had been afraid to say. A kiss that was a confession and a promise and a beginning.
She pulled back. His face was close. His eyes were bright.
"What was that?" he asked.
She looked at him. Her face was calm. Her eyes were not.
"A warning," she said.
He laughed. He pulled her close. He kissed her again.
"Consider me warned," he said.
---
Percy was at the window.
He had seen everything. He had seen Cole kneel beside Care. He had seen him take her hand. He had seen him say I love you. He had seen her kiss him.
He turned. His face was split into a grin. Aries was behind him. Yuri was behind them.
"They did it," Percy said. "They finally did it."
Aries looked at the garden. At Cole holding Care. At Care kissing him back. "Finally," Aries said.
Percy was already running. Already at the door. Already in the garden.
"COLE!" Percy shouted.
Cole looked up. His face was red. Care's face was red. Percy was running toward them, his arms open, his voice loud.
"YOU DID IT! YOU CONFESSED! YOU KISSED! YOU—"
Cole stood up. He put his hand on Percy's chest. "Percy."
Percy stopped. His mouth was open. His hands were in the air.
"If you say one word," Cole said, "I will tell Honey."
Percy's mouth closed. His face went pale. He stepped back.
"Congratulations," Percy said. His voice was small.
Cole smiled. "Thank you."
---
The news spread fast.
Ci N was in the living room. He saw Percy running. He saw Cole's face. He saw Care's face. He grabbed his phone. He ran to the garden.
He arrived just as Cole was pulling Care close. He recorded everything. The kiss. The confession. The way Percy ran out and stopped. The way Cole threatened him with Honey.
He sent it to the group chat.
FINALLY, he wrote. FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY.
---
Percy was in the kitchen when the messages started coming.
His phone buzzed. Jay's name flashed on the screen. Finally.
His phone buzzed again. Keifer's name. Finally.
His phone buzzed again. Lyra's name. Finally.
His phone buzzed again. Alex's name. Finally.
His phone buzzed again. Mica's name. Finally.
His phone buzzed again. Calix's name. Finally.
His phone buzzed again. Freya's name. Finally.
His phone buzzed again. Erdix's name. Finally.
His phone buzzed again. Rakki's name. Finally.
His phone buzzed again. Mayo's name. Finally.
His phone buzzed again. Kit's name. Finally.
His phone buzzed again. Grace's name. Finally.
His phone buzzed again. Denzel's name. Finally.
His phone buzzed again. Ella's name. Finally.
His phone buzzed again. Honey's name. Finally. Now stop talking about it.
Percy put his phone down. He looked at Aries. Aries was trying not to laugh. Yuri was not trying.
"Everyone knows," Percy said.
Aries smiled. "Everyone knows."
Percy put his head on the table. "I'm never going to live this down."
Aries put their hand on his head. "Never."
---
Care walked into the kitchen.
Cole was behind her. His hand was in hers. His face was bright. Her face was calm. But her hand was tight around his.
Percy looked up. His face was pale. "You're together now."
Care looked at him. "We're together now."
Percy stood up. He walked to them. He put his hand on Cole's shoulder.
"Honey," Percy said. "If you ever—"
Cole smiled. "I won't."
Percy hugged him. "Congratulations."
Cole hugged him back. "Thank you."
Percy pulled back. He looked at Care. "You threatened to kill him with a scalpel."
Care's face didn't change. "I should have."
Percy grinned. "You're perfect for him."
Care almost smiled. "I know."
---
The teasing started immediately.
Ci N was in the living room, his phone in his hand, his face bright. Felix was beside him. "You got the whole thing?"
Ci N held up his phone. "The whole thing. The confession. The kiss. Percy running. Cole threatening him with Honey. It's all here."
Felix smiled. "You're going to show it at the wedding."
Ci N looked at him. "What wedding?"
Felix nodded toward the kitchen. "Their wedding. They're going to get married. You know they are."
Ci N looked at Care and Cole. At the way Cole was looking at her. At the way she was letting him hold her hand. "They are," Ci N said. "They definitely are."
---
Lyra was in her corner when she heard the news.
Alex was beside her. His phone was in his hand. His face was bright.
"Care and Cole," Alex said. "They finally did it."
Lyra looked at him. Her face was blank. "Did what?"
Alex showed her the video. Cole kneeling. Care kissing him. Percy running.
Lyra watched. Her face didn't change. Her eyes did.
"Finally," she said.
Alex put his arm around her. "Finally."
She leaned against him. Her head was on his shoulder. "He's been in love with her since she threatened to kill him."
Alex kissed her hair. "I've been in love with you since you threatened to kill me."
She looked at him. His face was close. His eyes were bright. "You're an idiot."
He smiled. "I know."
---
Mica was in the study when the video came through.
She watched it twice. Then she looked at Calix. Calix was watching her.
"Care and Cole," Calix said. "They finally did it."
Mica looked at her screen. At the video. At the confession. At the kiss.
"Finally," she said.
Calix moved closer. His hand was on her chair. "We did it first."
She looked at him. His face was close. His eyes were bright. "We did it first."
He kissed her. Quick. Soft. "We're the best."
She almost smiled. "We're the best."
---
Jay was in the garden when she heard the news.
Keifer was beside her. They were sitting on the steps, the same steps where they had thrown mud at each other, the same steps where he had kissed her for the first time.
Her phone buzzed. She looked at the screen. Ci N's video. Cole kneeling. Care kissing him. Percy running.
She watched it twice. Then she handed the phone to Keifer.
He watched it. His face was calm. His eyes were bright.
"Finally," he said.
Jay leaned against him. "Finally."
He put his arm around her. "They're going to get married."
She looked at him. His face was close. His eyes were steady. "You think?"
He kissed her forehead. "I know."
She smiled. "We should bet on it."
He laughed. "Percy already is."
---
The night came.
The house was full. Percy was in the kitchen, making dinner, his voice loud. Aries was beside him, their hand in his. Yuri was in his corner, his arms crossed, his face cold. But his eyes were on Percy. They were always on Percy.
Ci N was on the sofa, his phone in his hand, reviewing the footage. Felix was beside him, his head on Ci N's shoulder. "You're going to show it at the wedding," Felix said.
Ci N grinned. "I'm going to show it at every wedding."
Care was in the garden with Cole. They were standing by the fence, her hand in his, his face close to hers.
"You're quiet," he said.
"I'm thinking."
"What are you thinking about?"
She looked at him. His face was close. His eyes were bright. "I'm thinking about the scalpel."
He laughed. "You're never going to let that go."
She almost smiled. "Never."
He kissed her. Soft. Slow. "I love you."
She kissed him back. "I love you too."
---
Jay stood at the window of her room.
The garden was dark. The steps were empty. Keifer came in behind her. His arms went around her waist. His face was in her hair.
"You're thinking," he said.
"I'm always thinking."
He turned her to face him. His hands were on her face. His eyes were steady.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked.
She looked at him. The enemy. The stranger. The man she had married. The man she loved.
"I'm thinking about the war," she said. "About the people we've lost. About the people we've found."
He pulled her close. His arms were tight. His heart was steady.
"We found each other," he said.
She held him. His chest was warm. His breath was steady.
"We found each other," she said.
He kissed her. Soft. Slow. A kiss that promised everything.
She kissed him back.
---
END OF CHAPTER FIFTY