I hesitated on his front step. All I had to do was knock on the door, but suddenly knocking seemed difficult, and not just because I carried a chocolate birthday cake on a platter. Knocking meant I was going to come face to face with Pierce again, and it would be time to give him my answer. I’d barely slept since the night when everything went crazy. I knew I was safe, but that didn’t make my decision any easier. I loved Pierce. That realization came to me like a lighting bolt when I thought he was going to die, but was love enough? Was I willing to tie myself to a man who wasn’t human? Yes. The answer was crystal clear. Maybe being with Pierce would come with danger, but then again so did being me. I was the one who attracted Professor Longhorn all on my own. My life would never go back to normal, but I was okay with that. I was more than okay with that if it meant I got to spend it with Pierce. I knew with absolute certainty we would be happy. We would push each other to be the best versions of ourselves, and the feelings we shared weren’t going anywhere.

I stood there for a few seconds longer before carefully moving the platter to one hand, just long enough to knock.

The door flew open. “Mattie.” Pierce’s grey eyes gleamed. “You’re here.”

"Happy birthday." I held out the cake. "I heard I couldn't go wrong with chocolate."

"You couldn't have gone wrong with any choice." He moistened his lips. “Come in.”

I stepped inside, and he closed the door behind me. I glanced around the simple living room. In the time we spent together, I had never been inside his house before. Everything about his oversized couch and love seat screamed comfort, and I wanted to kick off my shoes and relax. But I couldn’t.

"I'm not the best baker in the world, so I went to Ida’s Bakery." Maybe I’d attempt to make a cake myself in the future, but I could barely think straight the past few days. Nothing I would have made would have been edible. Staying away from Pierce had been painful, but it also gave me time to think. I needed to make sure I was making the right decision, and that was impossible to do when Pierce was anywhere within arm’s reach. He was completely irresistible.

"I missed you." His eyes were warm and seemed to be expressing even more than his words. I felt it too.

I felt exactly the same way about him. It had been the longest week of my life, but I knew taking time to think was the right decision. "I missed you too."

"Oh." He took the cake. "Thank you." He carried the cake down a small hallway into the kitchen.

I hesitated in the doorway, not sure if I was supposed to follow or not. "Thanks for giving me time."

"Of course." Once again, his eyes seemed to say more than his words. There was uncertainty inside them and fear. I wanted to get rid of both of those feelings.

"It helped." I swallowed hard. "The time did."

"Great." He smiled, but it looked forced.

I had to tell him. It wasn’t fair to leave him waiting. "I'm here for a reason other than delivering a cake." 

"Oh." He leaned back against the counter. “Okay.”

"I've made up my mind.” A mix of emotions bubbled through me. "If the offer is still on the table?"

His eyes widened. "It's not an offer, it's..." He hesitated for a moment. "It’s fate. That isn’t something that can change." 

"Ok, then I accept fate." Saying the words out loud had a strange physical effect on me. It was as if something had set my heart on fire—in a good, but incredibly intense, way.

"Yeah?" His lips twisted into a cautious smile.

"Yeah." I grinned. Excitement filled me, but also nerves. What happened next? How did any of this work?

He crossed back through the kitchen and pulled me into his arms. He didn’t say a word, instead he kissed me, harder than he ever had before. I gladly gave him access to my mouth, and l lost myself in his taste as he wrapped his arms around me tighter. My arms wrapped around his neck, needing to pull him closer.

I was only partially aware when he picked me up and carried me down the hall to his room. He closed the door and lay down on the bed next to me.

“I like it.” I gazed around at his dark room. It was a comfortable queen sized bed, but otherwise it was sparsely furnished.

“We can worry about where we live later, right now there is only one thing on my mind.”

“Me?” I wrapped my arms around his neck.

He grinned. “How’d you guess?”

“Because I was thinking about you.” I slipped my hand under his t-shirt.

“Yeah.” He brushed his lips against my neck.

“I’m glad we’re done fighting fate.” I gently bit down on his lip.

“Me too.” He looked deep into my eyes. “And I am ready for our forever.”

I kissed him, and let my lips say all the things my words never could.