Darcy didn't take it as a rejection. Every moment another twist of the terror unwinds. It's all gone to hell, but they don't have to hate each other over this.

"I -- " The part of Dimitri that's capable of courtesy died sometime in the midst of telling Sparkles to just end it already. Everything hurts and a lumpy fold-out sounds like agony when there's a real mattress on offer. " -- won't put you out of it," he says weakly, "but ... yes."