Believe Me

✨aaron warner and juliette ferrars invented the definition of soulmatism✨

“I don’t care, love. I don’t care about any of it. I just want you. I want you to be my family.”

“You all insult him over and over again and he just takes it—he doesn’t even say anything—and somehow you’ve convinced yourselves it’s okay. Why? He’s a real, flesh-and-blood person. Why don’t you care? Why don’t you think he has feelings? What the hell is wrong with you?”

“I take a deep, shaky breath. I don’t know what to do with my arms, or my legs. They feel prickly suddenly; all pins and needles. I want to tear them off my body.
I’m staring at the ground when I say, “Have you changed your mind? About marrying me?”

“I would sleep on the cold floor of our hospital room for the rest of my life if it meant staying by Ella’s side. I can forgo quiet. I can compartmentalize my need for space. My desire for privacy.
But to lose her—”

“I shake my head. “It wasn’t about me. My experience doesn’t matter—”
“Of course it does. It matters to me. You don’t get to be the only one who worries about the person you love. I get to do that, too,” she says, breaking away to better look me in the eye. “You spend so much time thinking about what’s best for me. You’re always worried about my safety and my happiness and the things I might need. Why don’t I get to do that for you? Why don’t I get to think about your happiness?”
“I am happy, love,” I say quietly. “You make me happy.”

“Please,” she says, still touching me. “Aaron—”
I sink down, without warning, onto my knees. Ella steps back, confused for all of a second before her eyes widen with understanding.
“Come here, love.”

I’m trying, but I can’t stop laughing.
“Huh,” says Winston quietly. “I didn’t even know his face could do that.”
“Yeah,” Kenji says. “It’s super weird the first time you see it.”
“I can’t look away. I’m trying to look away and I can’t. It’s like if a baby was born with a full set of teeth.”
“Yes! Exactly. It’s exactly like that!”
“But nice, too.”
“Yeah.” Kenji sighs. “Nice, too.”
“Hey, did you know he had dimples? I didn’t know he had dimples.”

“Does he have a name?” she’d asked.
“He is a dog,” I’d said, frowning as I looked up. “You may call him a dog.”

“Her faint, almost undetectable note of jealousy— possessiveness—only cements my smile in place.”

“A dangerous heat builds behind my eyes and I force myself to fight it back, to remain calm, but when she sees me, she smiles—and I nearly lose the fight.
“I told you it was a nice dress,” Kenji whispers.
“Kenji.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you,” I say, still staring at Ella. “For everything.”

✨✨WARNETTE NOVELLA CONFIRMED!!!!✨✨

"Is it some kind of perverse revenge?" I ask, "Are you trying to prevent my wedding because I won't let you bring in civilians? Because I refuse to put Juliette's life in jeopardy?"
Noria is quiet for so long I'm forced to look up, to return my mind to itself. She's staring at me with the strangest look in her eyes, something like guilt - or regret - washing her out completely.
"Warner," she says quietly. "It was Juliette's idea."

"My bad, princess." Kenji holds up both hands. "My bad. I didn't realize it was controversial to let the groom know what was happening with his own wedding, but I guess I just don't know how weddings work, do I?" He says that last part with an edge, irritation souring his expression.

I close my eyes, scenes from the day replaying as if on an automatic loop, I seem doomed to relive the events in perpetuity, combing them for answers, for evidence of anything that might explain what's happening to my life. And despite my best efforts to shut them out, I recall Sam's voice, then Kenji's-
You're nothing by a callous, coldhearted narcissist.
I hope you know how lucky you are that Juliette tolerates your presence.
I'm sick of your attitude.
I'm sick of making excuses for your crappy behavior.
I just don't know what she sees in you.
What on earth does she see in you?

“I would happily watch the world go up in flames if anything happened to her, and if that’s not enough for you, you can go to hell.”

“This one’s mine.” That wipes the smile off my face. “That’s right, buddy.” Kenji is grinning now. “We’re going to be neighbors.”

“When she’s here, right here, it’s so much easier to breathe. She’s real when she’s in my arms.”

“Please,” she says, “Aaron—”
I sink down, without warning, onto my knees.
“Come here, love.”

“I'm going to marry you today. And then I'm going to make love to you until you can't remember your name.”

“I didn’t understand then that a home is not always a place. Sometimes, it’s a person.”