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Paxton
She was trembling silently next to me in the passenger seat, her face like stone as she stared out the window stubbornly.
I recognized what she was doing; she was trying to stay strong. Like the Demon had probably ingrained in her while growing up. Hell, we’d reinforced that too, trying to prey on any weakness we’d seen.
I hated that.
I’d been taught to stay strong at all costs too, even when there was so much in my life I wanted to fall apart at.
“Head back to the house. Maybe we’ve missed something,” muttered Stellan, lost in thought, obviously missing the way Aurora was falling apart.
Asshole.
I abruptly turned right, heading towards an overlook I’d been to in the past about twenty minutes away.
Aurora turned and glanced at me questioningly, her face pale, and her eyes just cold…and empty.
“Just taking a detour, princess.”
“Well, at least I’m not in a trunk for this one,” she quipped half-heartedly, and I glared at Stellan in the rearview mirror.
He at least looked guilty. “How long do you think it will take you to let that go?” he asked.
She scoffed but didn’t say anything back. And that worried me even more about how she was doing. Aurora wasn’t one to not have the last word.
Hopefully, my plan wouldrelaxher…
Stellan didn’t press about where we were going or why, he just sulked in the back, so the ride was blissfully quiet until we got there.
I pulled down the stretch of dirt road that led to the overlook. “Please tell me I’m not about to die,” she drawled. “I’d hate to have my life end with the Demon as my last memory.”
“I think we can do better than that,” I murmured as we parked and I hopped out of the car. She paused for a second while I waited impatiently, and then she finally got out of the car. Her eyes widened when she took a few steps forward and saw the view I’d taken us to.
There was a cliff a few feet away, and beyond that, a meadow dotted with colorful trees showcasing all of fall’s glory. During the summer, the meadow was covered in wildflowers.
I’d never taken anyone here. And I could have done without Stellan’s presence, but it felt right to be here with her.
It was terrifying how right everything felt with her lately.
* * *
Aurora
I stared out at the awe-inspiring sight in front of me. Sometimes I forgot that beauty existed in the world. It was easy to think that it had ceased to exist, or that it didn’t exist for me. But here, with this in front of me, I was being reminded.
“It’s beautiful,” I murmured to him as I felt his presence behind me, the warmth of his body enveloping me as he pulled me into his arms.
“You’re beautiful,” he responded, and I glanced up at him, prepared to tease him for being so corny…or check on his health since he’d been far too sweet today. But my words got caught in my throat when I saw how he was looking at me.
Like…I was important.
Like…I was everything.
“I didn’t just bring you up here for the view,” he whispered softly in my ear as his hand trailed from my neck, down the side of my arm.
I was faintly aware of the car door opening and the sound of footsteps approaching as Stellan walked towards us…but my attention was focused on the stroke of Paxton’s hand.
His hand traveled down my hip and then slid across my waist and down my leg before dipping under my dress.
