Instead, she launches herself at me.
Her arms wrap around my neck as she buries her face into the crook of it, clinging to me like she's afraid I might disappear. I instinctively wrap mine around her, pulling her closer, my hand sliding up her back.
I wish I knew what this meant.
If mind-reading existed, life would be a hell of a lot easier right now.
I've always tried to give her space to figure things out for herself, to move at whatever pace feels right for her. But deep down, I've always believed coming back here might be good for her.
“Thank you,” she whispers against my skin.
My shoulders finally loosen at her words.
She doesn't pull away, still holding onto me, and I can feel the damp warmth of her tears against my neck.
I run soft circles across her back, letting her cry it out.
The wind has picked up along the cliff, whipping strands of her hair around us, but neither of us moves. The moment feels too important to break. She's tucked up against me like she belongs there, and I let myself soak in the feeling—the way she fits against my chest, and the quiet trust in how she cuddles into me.
We fit.
In every way that matters, we just fit.
After a while, she pulls back. Her cheeks are wet, her lashes clumped together, her eyes red from crying.
I swallow the ball in my throat at the sight.
“If you hate it, we can leave right now.”
She shushes me, both hands coming to cradle either side of my neck.
“I don't," she says softly. “I just… wasn't expecting to be here.”
She glances toward the beach, the palace stretching out below the cliffs.
“I never thought I'd come back,” she admits quietly.
She wipes at her cheeks, brushing away the tears.
“You look scared.”
A laugh slips out of me before I can stop it, though it sounds a little rough. I take another look at her face, making sure she's really okay.
“I just didn't want to disappoint you. Or push you into something that would make you hate me.”
The thought alone makes me sick.
I couldn't bear that.
She reaches up and pushes my messy hair back from my forehead, her touch gentle.
“Nothing you could ever do would make me hate you.”
The certainty in her voice reassures me, causing all my anxious nerves to fade away.
I can’t help but wonder how I got so lucky.
How did someone like her choose someone like me?
