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She returns her gaze to the growing starlight and for a few moments, she simply watches them while I watch her. A simple serenity has taken hold of her features and I wish like hell I could reach out and run my fingertips across her lips.
Instead, I study her.
The way her eyes crinkle when she spots a new star. How her cheeks mound with the slightest smile.
“It was because of you,” she says, keeping her gaze fixed on the stars.
“Hmmm?” I ask, confused.
“I didn’t want your memory tainted by watching the stars with anyone else,” she confesses. Then, she rolls over onto her side so she’s facing me. “Maybe that’s silly, but it was one thing that was just ours. You know? It felt like—without you, it didn’t hold the same meaning.”
I roll onto my side, mirroring her position. “I get that.”
“Have you? With anyone else, I mean,” she asks tentatively.
The question stems from her insecurity and hurt, so I reach out and run my fingertips over her cheek.
“No one else,” I whisper.
She exhales a jagged breath.
“Though,” I continue, “I have done it on more than one occasion on my own.”
A smile floats to her beautiful lips. “Really? Why?”
I roll my eyes and boop her chin. “You already know why.”
Her smile broadens slightly and she nods. Then, she rolls onto her back and looks up again. “Yeah, I think maybe I do.”
A comfortable silence settles between us and I return to my own stargazing, my mind whirling through the past few day’s events.
Beside me, Lily takes a deep breath, and her voice is barely above a whisper. “London, what happens now? Between us?”
I turn to her, searching for an answer in her eyes. But all I see are the reflections of the stars above, and the question that lingers in the air, unanswered.
CHAPTER28
Lily
One by one, the stars twinkle to life like tiny diamonds as they scatter across the vast canvas of the night sky. To me, each one holds a story of its own—a tale of timelessness and wonder. Much like the memories of my childhood with London, if I’m honest.
The night is beautiful, but the fragile connection we’ve been rekindling in its embrace feels even more precious.
A wave of guilt sweeps over me when I realize I’m equating timelessness with London—and not the man who held my hand for the past decade.
The realization of this evening’s events crash over me again and I inhale a deep breath, trying to center myself and move through it.
There’s a strange sense of relief in the undercurrent, but I can’t seem to fully grasp it.
Yet ... laying beside London like this—with the soft glow of the stars illuminating his face—the bond of our shared history presses against my heart.
The silence and comfort he brought with him tonight speaks volumes to me. I don’t know what I would have done if I had to endure this evening alone.
The city has started to settle down and the distant sound of rushing water provides a serene background music to our quiet contemplation. This was the perfect place to go.
He’s always known what to do. How to make me feel better.
My fingers unconsciously play with the grass beneath me, seeking some tactile connection to the earth to ground my scattered thoughts.
