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"Nothing," he breathes out. "It's too perfect. No one can ever be this happy without there being consequences."
"I don't believe that, and I'm sorry no one has shown you any differently. If you let me, I'll—"
"You'll what? Be better than they were? Never want anyone else after leaving here and meeting new people? Are you going to wear that ring forever? Keep hiding who you are for me?"
I'm not used to someone caring so much about me staying true to myself. "I'll never want anyone else. You're more than enough for me. If I have to wear the ring forever I will. I'll go wherever or be whoever I need to in order to be with you. Don't you understand that?"
"No." Tears hang in his eyes and he sits, rubbing his palms over his sandy legs. "None of this makes sense when it feels like it should. You don't know me. I don't know you. Eight days locked away together isn't enough time for you to guarantee any of this."
"Then I'll tell you again in six more and again in a hundred. Whatever it takes to make sense to you."
Rubbing his eyes, he shakes his head. "Me being here was nothing more than a convenience for you. It was for me too. Both heartbroken, we looked to each other for comfort. A rebound."
Hooking my fingers around his chin, I tug his face toward me to force his eyes to meet mine. "You're wrong. For me you were what I've been looking for all along. Albert never was. He was only in my life to lead me to you. You are not a convenience or a rebound. You're everything. If a hundred people were around us, I'd still choose you. Only you. Always you. You're my fated mate."
His bottom lip trembles and tears stream down his cheeks. "That's not… Fated mates aren't real. Only in books."
"They don't typically happen between humans and demons. You and I were brought together by some strange chance. Maybe to bring peace between both worlds… who knows. But you were made to be mine and I was made to be yours."
"You said Albert was your mate." He pulls away from me and stands up, dusting the sand off his body.
"I was wrong."
"What if you're wrong again?"
"Something was always off between me and Albert. Nothing's off between you and me. It feels right all the time. You feel right. We don't have to discuss this now. We can go on as we were and see where things are in six days."
"Yeah." He nods. "I think I'll go to the store alone this time." He rushes toward the house and I don't call after him. What else can I say? All I can do is be patient. Waiting is hard but I've waited for thousands of years. What's a few days or months in comparison. I only worry about what can happen to him or me between now and then. I'll wait but I doubt my father will.
When I enter the house, Everly is exiting his room, twisting his shirt between his fingers. Only he can make a basic T-shirt look so damn good. The tight material pulls against his muscles, highlighting his thick biceps.
"You heading out?"
He doesn't say anything, his gaze drifting everywhere but me.
"Everly?" I approach him with careful steps, sand falling from my feet. He's fully dressed and I'm as naked as I was before he left me outside.
He looks to his feet, continuing to play with his shirt with one hand while the other tugs at the drawstring of his red basketball shorts.
When I finally reach him, he doesn't pull away, and I cup his face with both hands. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"
He looks at me, his face distraught. "I don't want to go without you. I was going to walk out the door but couldn't move my feet. I'm sorry, Rory. I'm just so fucking confused. So much has happened and I don't know how to handle it all."
"Oh, baby." Standing on my tiptoes, I take him in my arms, nudging my nose into his neck. "It's okay. You don't have to work it all out now. Don't worry about anything other than what you want to do today. The rest can wait." I can wait, I want to say.
"Will you still go with me?"
Tugging down his chin, I kiss his perfect plump lips. "Of course. I'll go get dressed."
"Okay, but please don't wear any of my aunt Sally's clothes again. They don't exactly cover everything."
I throw my head back, laughing. "Lucky for you, I have my own clothes. Did some shopping while you slept in today. Wanted to surprise you."
"When did you get money?"
"My brother paid me a visit."
His brows raise. "What? He came here?"
