I’ll be proud to be out in public with her. There are plenty of pretty girls at Verona Falls, but Ophelia really is a rare beauty. She’s got the kind of face that could launch a thousand ships.
“Speak of the angel, and she’ll appear,” Cain says.
I glance up, and my breath catches. Ophelia is wearing a long, loose dress, and it reminds me so much of the way she used to dress when she first arrived here. It makes my cock hard as I instantly recall us chasing her in the woods. But she’s changed things up a little because this dress has a dark brown belt pulling it together in the middle, giving her shape, and she’s wearing cowboy boots with it, and a matching brown bag slung over her shoulder.
“You look gorgeous,” I say.
She beams at my words, and I like how happy the little things in life make her.
“It seems a shame to waste all this hotness sitting around inside. Would you do me the honor of having brunch in the bar with me?”
Her eyes light up. “That would be lovely. Why don’t we all go?”
“I’ve got something to work on,” Roman says immediately.
“Yeah, and I need to make some calls,” Cain adds. “Sorry. But you guys go. Have fun.”
“Oh, if you’re sure?” Ophelia’s face falls, and again, I get that nagging feeling that maybe I’m being a little pushed out here. I figure she and I really do need some time together.
I grab my wallet and phone, shoving them into my pockets, and we head out the door. We walk through the woods, hand in hand, and my heart warms. The birds twitter and tweet in the branches overhead, and the sun filters through in a kaleidoscope of light. I inhale the earthy scent of nature and glance at the girl by my side. We must look like an interesting couple, with her so fair and me so dark. For a moment, I try to picture what it would be like if it was just the two of us… but I can’t do it. We come as a four, no question.
When we get to the bar, it’s surprisingly busy since it’s not even lunchtime yet. They’ve started to offer brunch recently, though, and it’s popular.
In the corner, Vani is sitting with Saint. I lift my hand in acknowledgment, and Vani waves back. Saint flips me the finger, but he’s grinning, so I think he’s just shitting with me. I roll my eyes and guide Ophelia into a corner at the other side of the room. I don’t have anything against Vani, and even Saint is bearable in small doses these days, but I want Ophelia to myself.
We sit in a darkened booth—with me next to her instead of across the table—and I hand her the menu.
“What do you fancy?” I ask, looking at the options.
She shrugs and wrinkles her small nose.
I tense my jaw. “Ophelia, I know you’ve been through so much, but you need to eat.”
“I will. I just can’t eat much at the moment. I’m feeling a lot better, but my stomach is always affected when I get upset or stressed.”
“I understand, baby, but you can’t waste away. There’s nothing of you as there is.”
She looks at the menu then glances up at me. “Is there anything you recommend? What are you having?”
I grin. “I’m having eggs benedict with extra crispy bacon. It’s awesome.”
“Eggs benedict.” She reads the menu item. “I’ve never had that.”
“You can try some of mine, if you’d rather order something you know you’d like?”
“No.” She closes the menu. “I want to try new things. I’ll have that, too, and an orange juice, please.”
I head to the bar and place our orders. When I sit back down, sliding onto the seat next to her, I see she’s watching Vani and Saint interact.
“She’s so sexy,” she says wistfully. “I wish I had her curves and confidence.”
“Are you shitting me?” My voice rises, and I force myself to modulate my tone. “Ophelia, you’re fucking gorgeous.”
She shakes her head, and her fingers automatically reach for her face, brushing over the scar.
“Baby.” I take her hand, stilling her. “You’re beautiful. I mean it. You’re astonishingly beautiful.”
“I’m not,” she argues. “I’ve got a scar, weird eyes, and my hair is so wispy.”
