This is how we’ll live our future. Always together.
I tighten my grip on Lee’s hand, and she turns her body toward me, pulling her legs up onto the seat. Reaching over to her, I place my hand behind her head, and when I lean in to kiss her forehead she lifts her face, and for the first time, she meets me halfway, pressing her mouth to mine.Chapter 16LeeThe past two weeks, I’ve kept myself busy by working at the restaurant. It helps the days go by faster.
But the nights remain long.
I light the candle Layla gave me, and like all the nights before, I take three steps back, and then I kneel down. Lowering my head to the floor, I shut my eyes as my heart cries, while I show my mother respect.
Eomma, I miss you.
There’s a knock at the door and straightening up, I blow out the candle.
I walk to the door, and when I open it, I see Lake’s patient face. I can’t help but wonder for how long he’ll remain patient with me before he gives up.
Then he smiles at me, and I chastise myself for doubting him when he’s never given me any reason to.
I move to the side so he can come in, and I smell his scent as he walks by me.
Slowly, my senses have been returning one by one. The first one was hearing when our group of friends offered me words of encouragement. The second was seeing they’re comforting smiles. The third was feeling their sincerity.
The fourth… smelling the man who has stood solid as a lighthouse during the storm, never faltering in shining his light so I wouldn’t get lost in this long dark night.
When he notices I’m not following him to the couch, Lake comes back, and he closes the door before he takes hold of my shoulders and leans down to catch my eyes. “What are you thinking?”
I take a step forward and lift my hand to his face. Closing my eyes, I let my fingers trail down his temple, over the bristles on his jaw, past his neck, until I flatten my hand over his chest.
His aura is so strong it pierced through the grim shroud of death.
Opening my eyes, I bring them up to his.
“I’m thinking of how lucky I am. You’ve filled my chest with so many emotions that it overflows, and there’s no longer space for my heart.” I take a deep breath before I continue, “So I’m giving it to you. Please… don’t ever give it back to me.”
Lake closes the distance between us, and he places his hands on my jaw. “I promise,” he whispers, and then he presses a soft kiss to my lips.
One day when I’m old, and I’ve been blessed with grandchildren, I’ll tell them the story of how love was born from death.LakeEvery night for the past two weeks, I would shower and put on a t-shirt and my sweatpants, and then I’d go to Lee and sit with her until she fell asleep.
I expected to do the same thing tonight, to just sit on the couch until she drifted off, and then I’d carry her to bed before I’d leave.
But she just told me she’s giving me her heart and it means the world to me. When I pull back after kissing her, the corner of her mouth lifts, and she asks, “Will it be wrong of me to ask you to stay? I just really want to wake up to your face.”
Her request makes a smile form around my own mouth. “Of course, I’ll stay.”
She gets the shy expression on her face, I’ve missed seeing, and then she darts to her room.
I close my eyes for a second, feeling so damn thankful that my Lee is coming back. Bit by bit, she’s returning to her old self as the initial sting of grief lessens.
I switch off the light in the living room, and when I get to the bedroom door, I glance inside, and the sight of Lee staring at the bed with wide eyes while she takes a deep breath makes my smile widen.
I walk inside, asking, “Is there a side you prefer to sleep on?”
“The right side.” Her eyes dart from the bed to me, and then she quickly adds, “Unless you like that side.”
I let out a chuckle and move toward the left side. “No,” and gesturing at the other side, I add, “It’s all yours.”
When she pauses, I tilt my head to the bed with a patient smile.
Lee lets out a nervous chuckle as she moves forward, and pulling back the covers, she sits down on the side.
I’m going to have to do some serious research on how to get her to relax, and how to lessen the pain of having sex for the first time before we get married.