Out on the horizon, the sun had just slipped into the sea, turning the sky the color of fire.
When the last rays had finally faded, Liam turned to me and said, “I wasn’t always who I am now, Gray. I wasn’t always in this form.”
His hushed tone was colored with shame, as if he were sharing some deeply-guarded secret.
In that moment, I was willing to do anything to erase the haunted look from his eyes.
“Oh, I know,” I teased, elbowing him gently in the ribs. “Seems like only yesterday you were terrorizing the neighborhood with your black-on-black grim creeper aesthetic.”
“Gray, that’s not…” He shook his head and broke our gaze, staring back out across the sea. Clearly, I’d said something wrong. The waves hushed against the shore, the silence between us stretching on for so long, my legs fell asleep.
When Liam finally spoke again, the words fell heavily—grudgingly—from his mouth. “I’m not what you think I am. Far from it.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I just meant… I don’t know what I meant.”
I sighed and leaned my head on his shoulder, and he scooched closer to me, wrapping an arm around my back.
It felt like forgiveness. I tried not to show how relieved I was.
“I know we’ve talked a lot about choice,” he said, his breath stirring the top of my hair. “But the truth is, we don’t always get to choose. Even when we think we have all the answers to make an informed decision.”
“You’re right,” I said. “And you’re wrong.”
He laughed. “Explain. Expand. Explore.”
“We don’t always get to choose the things that happen to us—things other people do, or events outside of our influence, or the fact that everyone dies, or even who we love.”
Liam pulled back to look at me. “You believe love is outside your influence?”
“Oh, absolutely. The heart wants what it wants, no matter how crazy or impractical or…” I thought of the men in my life right now, friends and lovers alike. “Or against the natural order it might be.”
Liam blushed at that, and I took a second to gather my thoughts.
“So you’re right,” I said, “about things we can’t choose. But wecanchoose how we deal with those unexpected things.” I shrugged—that was really all I needed to say on the matter. “I chose to get out of that orchard. And I’m choosing to find a way out of this realm, no matter what the universe or anyone else has to say about it.”
“And you will. I’ve never met anyone with as much stubborn determination and blatant disregard for the rules as you, little witch.”
I leaned back on his shoulder, and Liam pressed a kiss to the top of my head, making my scalp tingle.
“This might sound completely fucked up, because… well, hello. Shadowrealm.” I laughed, brushing away a tear that had slipped out. “But I’m really glad you’re here with me, Liam.”
“I’m glad, too, little witch.” He turned and slipped his fingers beneath my chin, tilting my face up toward his and trapping me in his electric blue gaze. He watched me in silence for so long I almost didn’t realize how close his lips had gotten to mine.
Almost.
He seemed to be asking a question, and I nodded in response as if he’d said it out loud.
Yes. I want this.
Liam smiled, a little bit shy and a whole lot sweet, and closed the last of the distance between us. His lips brushed mine, and we sparked.
Literally.
Both of us laughed, but neither broke away. I shifted to get closer to him, and he guided me back onto the sand, deepening our kiss.
The sparks turned into an electric current that raced down my spine and made every hair on my arms stand on end. Tiny white lights flashed on my skin wherever we touched, and overhead, streaks of lightning arced silently across the sky.
I pulled back just for a moment, looking at Liam with awe. He’d been surprising me from the moment he’d first come into my life, but never more thanthismoment, right here, right now.
