Page 136 of Such Sharp Teeth

How long do I have? How long can I keep this up with Ian without telling him the truth?

I go upstairs and wait for him to come home from work. I order us pizza. I have it in the oven when he arrives.

“Look, I made pizza!” I say, taking out the box. “From scratch.”

He holds my face in his hands and kisses me. “I like coming home to you.”

“Careful. I might never leave.”

“Wouldn’t mind,” he says.

“I might move here.”

“If that’s what you want,” he says. “What kind of pizza is it?”

“Meat,” I say. “Ian, I am seriously thinking about staying here. Not here in your house. In town. Not going back to Manhattan.”

He hands me a plate. “I might be the wrong sounding board, because I obviously want you to stay. But you used to always talk about leaving. And just a few weeks ago you said don’t like being here. I know you worked hard to get to where you’re at. If you wanted to go back, we’d figure it out.”

“Things are different now. I’m different,” I say, picking at a chunk of sausage. “I want to be here. With Scarlett, my niece. With Ash. With you.”

“I can be anywhere you want me to be.”

I shrug. “Maybe this is home.”

“Well,” he says, “I’ve got a great room for you downstairs.”

I almost throw up.

“Ian?”

“Yeah?”

“I . . . I can trust you, right? I can trust you?”

“Yes, Aurora. You can trust me,” he says.

He resumes eating his pizza, like this declaration is no big deal. I wait for him to ask me follow-ups, but he doesn’t. He looks at me and waits.

“And you trust me?”

“Yes,” he says. No hesitation. Just like that. Yes.

“Okay, well, I . . .”

I can’t do it. I can’t tell him. Not right now. Later. Another time. Anytime other than now.

“Well, I’m glad we’re in agreement on that,” I say.

“Same,” he says. “Only, one small thing. You lied.”

“What?” I ask, suffering a hot wave of anxiety that promptly soaks my back in sweat.

“I know you didn’t make this pizza. It came in a box that said ‘Salvatore’s.’ ”

“That is a bold accusation,” I say, climbing across the table to get to him. I slip behind him, drape my arms over his shoulders, press my mouth to his neck. “Very bold.”

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