Helanie:
His lips were soft and comforting. I could have pulled away, but in that mont, I just couldn’t. I enjoyed how good they tasted— a hint of cherry with a subtle touch of honey. His lips felt like a journey to heaven. I smiled against his lips as he pressed his mouth harder on mine, deepening the kiss.
However, I didn’t participate much, which made him slowly pull back. He lingered close, his breath warm on my face, until a snapping twig interrupted his next attempt to kiss .
I got so scared that I instinctively pulled away, breaking the cozy blanket circle and looking in the direction of the noise.
"Hey, easy! Maybe it was just a squirrel," he laughed, raising his arm to reassure .
"Maybe we should check. What if soone saw us?" I asked, still shaken, dismissing the comfort of his warm embrace.
"For your peace of mind, I’ll check it out," he said, getting up. Before leaving, he wrapped the blanket snugly around .
The way he took care of felt almost unreal. I wasn’t used to such gentle gestures anymore.
After a few minutes, he returned. He must have been freezing in just his white long-sleeve shirt and black pants, which explained why he had wrapped himself in a blanket earlier.
"There’s no one around, and the guesthouse doors are closed," he uttered.
This ti, I raised my arm to offer him so comfort. He had been so sweet to , and it didn’t hurt to be nice to him in return.
He smiled widely before sitting back under the blanket with . Our heads peeked out like two eggs from a cozy nest.
"Back when I kissed you in the office and you ran out on , I was scared you might be disgusted with because of the ’step-sibling’ title," he said, recalling that day. I didn’t expect him to bring up sothing I thought he had long forgotten.
Of course, he hadn’t forgotten. But I guessed he wasn’t the type to push for answers impatiently. Instead, he waited for the right mont to bring it up.
"I was afraid soone would catch us," I lied. The truth was, it had been the haunting mory of other, unwelco touches that ca crashing down on like a wrecking ball, making react the way I had.
"Yeah, I figured sothing was up. Anyway, are you okay now?" he asked gently, as expected. He was addressing another incident that needed explaining.
"I’m fine now," I replied, quickly looking away. But because we were sharing the sa blanket, I couldn’t move much and was still within his sight.
"What happened, if you don’t mind asking?" he whispered, almost like he was making sure not to offend . Then, before I could answer, he added, "I was worried. Jenny told you had digestion issues because you skip als so often."
It was clear he didn’t believe Jenny’s excuse.
"Why trust Lamar again, Helanie? People don’t change that quickly," he continued without waiting for my response.
I felt so guilty that he had to leave without real answers.
"I had thought about that too, but recently, Lamar has shown so real growth," I replied to his concerns. "And don’t worry, I’ll be careful."
I watched him reluctantly nod his head. "Umm, the dinner was awkward, but thank you for standing up for . I didn’t know you saw as a perfect man with so many achievents."
The more he spoke softly, his fresh minty breath fanning over my face, the more I realized how badly he needed soone to talk to about what he was dealing with.
"You really are a great guy and doing an amazing job in your field. I just think your mother doesn’t know much," I tried to explain gently, attempting to convey my thoughts about his mother in the nicest way possible.
He stayed silent, making wonder if he was going to defend her.
"I’m the last child from when they were still married and things hadn’t turned ugly between them," he began quietly. "When I was born, I had complications. My mom suffered so much during her pregnancy with . And once I was born, I ruined their peace because I wouldn’t stop crying all the ti. My ssy state took a toll on their marriage as well. Things got ugly pretty quickly."
He sighed deeply before continuing.
"However, they managed to ignore the chaos for a while and act like a family. But it didn’t last. Things fell apart again—and this ti for real. Sowhere along the line, taking care of beca too much for them. It was like I was cursed, constantly in pain and restless. I can’t even explain it. So, after a while, my parents concluded that suffering because of was too much. And when I didn’t ’return the favor’ by achieving big things for them, they started resenting . That’s why... you saw what happened tonight."
He smiled awkwardly but never made eye contact during the whole conversation. I swear, if he had looked in the eyes, he would have started bawling like a child. He sounded so ek and broken.
"But how was that your fault? So kids are just a bit more restless and fussy than others," I mumbled softly, my voice filled with concern.
"That’s how you think. Not everyone is as understanding as you are. That’s why..." He slid closer to , his hand resting on my thigh while his eyes lingered on my face for a mont too long. "I want you as my mate and my forever."
Maybe he was studying my reaction. When I didn’t object—partly because I wanted to overco my lingering fear of touch—he seed to take it as a sign that I was okay with it.
His hands moved up my thighs, reaching my waist. He held my tiny waist firmly in his hands, pulling onto his lap.
"I, Kaye McQuoid, accept Helanie as my beautiful mate," he whispered against my lips.
Before I could process my shock or respond, he closed the gap, crashing his lips against mine. This ti, he quickly slid his tongue into my mouth, silencing with an intensity that left no room for words.
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