Garth slowly lifted himself onto his forearms, and as I gazed into his eyes, I was met with pure serenity.
I cupped the sides of his face with my shaky hands and said, “You are everything I never knew I was searching for.”
His bright eyes flicked back and forth between mine before he kissed me with such sweet tenderness a single tear escaped down my cheek.
No doubt lingered as it had before.
I had fallen for him—as hard and fast as a shooting star across the darkest sky.
“You’re not used to being the subject, are you?” I giggled as I peered through the viewfinder of my camera.
“The only reason I’m letting you take pictures of me is so that I can paintyouthis weekend. A little give and take. Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do in a relationship?” Garth raised a brow at me just as I snapped a picture of him.
Despite his empty complaints, I was really thankful that Garth was willing to let me use him as my subject for my latest class project. The end of the semester was rapidly approaching, and there was still so much to do before Thanksgiving break.
Dr. Nickolson had invited multiple guest speakers to our class so we could get an idea of what a career in photography might look like, depending on the types of photographs we took. There was a famous sports photographer and someone who chased crazy storms and took photographs of lightning and tornadoes.
But my absolute favorite was Monique Riviera, a renowned destination wedding photographer. The way she captured intimacy among the wildest backdrops in the world was awe-inspiring.
I couldn’t imagine reaching her level of artistry, but her lectures inspired me more than anyone else had. When I heard her talk about her passion of capturing love, it reminded me of the man through the lens, leaning against a giant oak tree, the most boyish smile I’d ever seen on his face as he looked at me.
If I were able to capture the feeling he gave me for other couples, I would be fulfilled in my passion.
I knew there were countless steps for me to take before I established myself as a wedding photographer, but my chest fluttered with excitement when I thought about the journey. Somehow, everything was falling into place for the future I only dreamed of just a few months ago.
Moments of sadness still creeped in every now and then. Mostly when I thought of Paulina and how she remained trapped in the layers of facade she had cocooned herself in, just as I had for far too long. But it wasn’t for me to worry about anymore. Just as I had found my way, she would have to find her own way too.
It even seemed that Connor had taken Garth’s advice from that night at Bloom 31. The few times I saw him around campus, he purposefully walked the other way, leaving me be without the nasty exchanges he often tried to engage me in before. Turned out, his parents were suing the professor Connor had the affair with, and the news outlets were much more engaged in the outcome of the trial than they were about the ex-girlfriend.
I’d finally stopped reading the news stories and the comments about me. It felt like the final piece—letting go of the self-loathing that reading those comments brought out in me.
The last layers of my own facade had drifted away, and I was getting used to the new version of myself that I’d created. Or maybe it was the version of myself that had always been there, collecting dust and waiting for me to polish off the tarnish when the time was right.
My phone pinged from my back pocket. “Just one second!” I shouted to Garth as I let the weight of my camera settle on the strap around my neck.
Drema:Hey! Lucas and I are almost to the restaurant. Meet you there in ten?
Me:Awesome! We’ll meet you then.
“Drema and Luc—" My words were cut off as I looked up to see Garth running straight toward me with his arms spread wide and a playful smile plastered to his face.
I squealed as he whisked me up into his arms in a giant bear hug, spinning us around until we both became dizzy. Our fits of laughter melded together as he set me down and sealed his lips to mine.
His twirling hug wasn’t the only thing that made me feel dizzy as he gently rolled his tongue over mine in tantalizing motions that shot a pang of desire straight to the apex of my thighs.
“I have to tell you something,” he whispered against my lips.
“Tell me what?” I asked between kisses.
As he pulled away from our kiss, both hands gracing the sides of my face as he stroked my cheeks with his thumbs, the world suddenly faded away, and it was just the two of us standing in that park. Gentle wisps of mist floating through the air from the fountain landed on my flushed arms.
“From the second I saw you, Eva, I knew there was something pulling me toward you. Something much stronger than I could ever resist, no matter how hard I tried. You are the bravest, most selfless person I know, and I’m so happy that you allowed me to get to know you. Therealyou.” He placed a swift kiss to my forehead. “What I’m trying to say is that I never meant for this to happen. I honestly didn’t even think it was possible for me to…”
“To what?” I breathed as I hung onto his every word.
Garth took in a deep breath and smiled. “To fall in love. Iloveyou, Eva Barnes. With every fiber of my being, I love you. My soul is tethered to yours for as long as you will have me.”
I couldn’t hold back the tears that sprung to my eyes. And as they spilled over, I jumped into his arms. The weight of his words settled over me like a warm caress.
And when I pulled back to look up at him, those hazel eyes I’d come to know more intimately than my own shined a bright green—the color of a budding flower right before it bloomed. A symbol of a new beginning. A time to be cherished.
As those eyes searched mine, hoping for an answer to the silent question he asked, the final bricks of the wall surrounding my heart turned to ashen dust.
“I love you too, Garth Walker.”
