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“Neither of us had a choice when we were younger, but we do now, and I’ll choose you every time for the rest of my life, whether it be one hundred years or three thousand. You’re stuck with me, Tiny. And I couldn’t pick a person I would be happier to be tied to, even with your extras added in.” His tone is teasing as he talks about the guys, but it’s not a joke. It’s not something he says lightly, and my heart races with the significance of his words.
“I missed you,” I tell him, my voice shaky from crying.
His lips pull up into a smile that lights up his whole face, and I can’t help but smile back.
“I missed you too, so fucking much,” he tells me, once again wrapping me up in his arms.
I hear his wings a second before the ground disappears from under my feet, making me squeal in surprise and tighten my hold on him. His chuckle vibrates his chest, and I feel it as much as I hear it.
“Don’t worry, I won’t drop you… this time,” he says, and I roll my eyes at his stupid joke.
It takes me a few minutes to build up the courage to peek. I remember loving flying with him when we were younger; it was beautiful, and I always felt so free.
I want that feeling again.
My breath catches as I peel my eyes open.
“Wow.”
“Yeah, this was always one of your favorite places in the kingdom,” he says, his lips close to my ear so I can hear him against the wind. I feel his breath hot on my skin, and I shiver. I’d like to say it’s from the view, but that would be a lie.
“I remember, but my memories didn’t do it justice.”
We make it to the lake a few minutes later, our shoes sinking into the bright sand. Garrett doesn’t release me immediately, and I make no move to pull away. I’m happy to stay here as long as he wants me to. He was referring to flying when he said it was my favorite place in the kingdom, and while it is one of them, it wasn’t my number one. No, my favorite place was wherever he was, in his arms, at his side. It didn’t matter so long as we were together.
When he finally releases me, I can’t fight the smile that pulls at my lips as I head for the lake. Turning around to walk backward, I wave him toward me.
“What are you up to?” he calls, slowly following me.
“Me? Up to something? I think you forget that you’re the bad influence despite what you might have everyone else believing,” I call back with a laugh. He puts a hand to his chest in mock outrage, and I dissolve into laughter.
I collect myself before reaching down to pull my shirt up and off before I can second guess it or overthink it. Garrett stumbles over his own feet, his eyes roaming over my exposed skin, and that’s all the push I need to lose my pants as well.
I’m not naked, but I might as well be for the way he devours me with his eyes. I push away my insecurities and the urge to cover myself, instead turning to race to the water.
“Serena,” Garrett’s voice is a few octaves higher than usual as I enter the water, slow as it reaches my waist.
“It’s fine, Garrett. What are you afraid of, a giant squid?” I tease. He raises a brow at me, almost in disbelief, but doesn’t stop heading toward me. He ditches his shirt, and I bite my lip as he reaches down to remove his pants.
Fuck, he’s definitely not the same little boy from my memories.
He reaches the water’s edge but jumps back when he feels the temperature. It’s not exactly a hot day; the breeze carries a chill, and the water isn’t exactly comfortable, but I need the distraction, and the chill helps me clear my mind.
At least until he started taking his clothes off, now I can’t say I feel the cold much.
“Fuck, Serena, it’s like the Arctic in there!” he complains, giving me a dirty look.
“First, you’re afraid of a little squid. Now, you can’t handle a little chill? Man, you’ve gone soft in your old age.”
His eyes narrow, and I know he hears the unsaid challenge. Honestly, I’m not sure which bugs him more, the jab about the squid or the age comment. Honestly, I don’t even really know how old he is, not with the way it works here. Hell, I don’t even know how old I am, but that’s a problem for another time.
Right now, the only thing I want to worry about is the nearly naked man who’s making his way toward me, cutting through the water as if the temperature didn’t just have him contemplating sitting this one out.
The second he gets close, I understand why he’s unfazed now. He’s heating the water!
“Cheater!” I yell, splashing him with cold water.
I see the mischief in his eyes a second before he pounces, but I’m not fast enough to escape. A scream rips its way out of me as we fall into the water until it’s abruptly cut off when we go under. The water is cold, but with him, it quickly warms up as we sink lower into the darkness, wrestling around like we used to when we were children.
