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The warmth started to penetrate my pores and I relaxed and closed my eyes. It felt so good. I didn’t know how long I stayed like that, but when the water started to get cold, I washed up and stepped out, quickly wrapping the towel around my body, and keeping the cold air away.
I quickly got dressed and walked out of the bathroom. As I made my way toward my bed, something on it caught my eye. My steps faltered and I let out a gasp.
Alessio’s jacket. Running toward it, I stopped in front of my bed and grabbed the jacket, pulling it to my chest. My fingers were wrapped tightly around the fabric, my breathing hard as I tried to wrap my head around this.
I looked down at it, my mind, breathing, and body instinctively calming.
Maddie.
It must have been her. That was the only option. Happy tears blinded my vision, and I sent a silent thank you to her.
Thank you. Oh, thank you so much.
I couldn’t wait to see her so I could thank her in person. It felt like she had given me my life back. My peace. This was all I needed.
I was holding the jacket tightly to my chest when I heard a knock on the door. My body stiffened at the sound and I lurched forward, pulling my pillow up so that I could hide the jacket underneath. Straightening back up, I called out softly, “Come in.”
The door opened to reveal Alessio. My heart stuttered at the sight. He walked inside but didn’t close to the door, instead staying in the doorway.
“Are you busy right now?” he asked.
I shook my head and he nodded, looking satisfied with my response.
“Come. I want to show you something,” he ordered gently.
My eyebrows furrowed in confusion and I didn’t move.
Alessio took a step forward. “Do you not trust me?”
I couldn’t believe he asked me that question. Wasn’t it obvious? Even though I shouldn’t trust him, I did. He was my enemy, yet I trusted him more than I had ever trusted anyone.
I walked toward him, my heart doing the same pitter-patter dance it always did whenever he was near. Stopping in front of Alessio, I peered up at him through my thick eyelashes and noticed a slight twist to his mouth and the faint indentation of the dimple on his cheek.
“I trust you,” I whispered.
“Good.” He nodded, the corner of his lips slowly turning up in a slight smile. It was barely there. So faint that I would have missed it if I wasn’t paying attention. “Let’s go,” Alessio said, turning around. He didn’t look back to see if I was following, but he knew I would. And so I did. Without any questions asked, I followed him.
We walked down the stairs silently, and when he led me outside to the back garden, my steps faltered. “Where are we going?” I asked.
“Just wait and see. I don’t want to ruin the surprise,” he muttered. A resigned sigh brushed across my lips and I nodded in agreement.
But I was curious. And a little giddy with excitement.
My excitement quickly evaporated when he led us into the woods behind the estate. As we walked further, I started to grow nervous. Leaves and twigs crushed under my feet as I followed Alessio silently. He appeared determined in his lead.
This wasn’t good. Not good at all.
My eyes went wide and I stopped walking. Alessio must have felt it because he turned around and stared at me expectantly.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, cocking his head to the side in question.
“Why…where…are we…going?” I stuttered in fear and panic.
“I told you, it’s a surprise. C’mon. We are almost there.” When I didn’t move, he sighed. “Ayla, trust me. Okay? I’m not going to hurt you.”
At his words, the fear slowly settled, but it was still there.
Stupidly, I followed him.
And when I finally found out what he wanted to show me, I was glad I followed him.
When the forest started to grow less dense, my eyes finally settled on an opening where light cascaded around the woodland, bringing life and beauty to trees that it touched. And faintly I could hear the sound of rushing water. It felt refreshing and I quickened my pace so that I was right behind Alessio.
Finally breaking free from the trees, Alessio came to a stop. I almost stumbled into his back, but quickly righted myself. “We are here,” he murmured softly.
My eyebrows lifted in question and I walked to the side, so that I was standing next to him. And when I finally saw what he wanted me to see, I gasped out loud. My hands came up to cover my mouth in shock, as I took the magnificent beauty in front of me.
“Oh my God,” I whispered in complete utter shock.
I took a hesitant step toward the stream that ran in the middle on the woods. The rocks glistened in multiple hues of brown, black, and red. The water running over them sparkled under the bright sunlight.
