Part 11

When we drove home, Perth was silently ignoring all the speed limits. I knew he was thinking.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

I knew how these situations affected him, his possessiveness and protectiveness toward me were a mystery of their own. I was possessive too, but Perth was different. He got hot-headed instantly, forgetting everything else, ready to do anything, pay any price to protect me, to keep me. I didn't know if he'd always been like that or only with me, and I didn't care. I had no intention of leaving his side.

"I'm making a statement tomorrow," he said. "I'm going to publicly announce that you're mine, that we're together."

"No, you won't," I said firmly. Then added, "We're going to go home, take a shower, have sex, and fall asleep together, like every other night after a date."

"Didn't you say just a few days ago that only girls are a problem, and all the guys already know about us, feel us, or some shit?" he said, looking at me.

"He couldn't know. He's broken," I said calmly.

"You feel sorry for him?" Perth asked.

"No. But it's sad that people still can't accept us. And I want to help change that," I explained.

When we came home, there were no words needed. We took a quick shower since it was already early in the morning. Perth was gentle with me, more than usual. Every touch carrying both love and a quiet need to remind me that I was his. There was no anger left from before, only the kind of intensity that comes from wanting to protect something precious. When he pulled me into his arms, it wasn't rough or possessive, but I could feel the weight of everything he didn't say. His fear of losing me, his silent way of claiming me back. His warmth pressed against mine, his breath steady on my skin, and it hurt, the kind of hurt that only comes from loving someone so much it consumes you.