Page 47 of Siren's Heart

"Now, would you like to pretend to watch a movie again?" he asks me, his eyebrow raised amusedly, and I shake my head at him. Time for some good old streaming service and chill, I guess. I’m so full I fear I wouldn’t be up for much of anything else either, so it’s a good choice.

"Sure."

"We could also do a puzzle," he mentions offhandedly, like he's only just thought about it. But the way he eyes me from the corner of his eye, gauging my reaction, makes me wonder if that wasn't his plan all along. That's fine though, because I really like that plan.

"Uhh," I hum excitedly and perk up. "It's been forever since I puzzled, just so you're warned. I suck at it," I add jokingly, and the look in his eyes softens.

"My moment to shine," he chuckles and brings the plates to the sink, motioning for me to follow him to the living room, where, coincidentally, a puzzle already sits on the table. Oh, he definitely planned for this, and it's adorable.

Before that, though, I walk past his shelves, and I can’t help but snoop. There are a few fantasy books, some figurines, and a small tool suitcase tucked into one of the shelves.

“What’s that?”

“Erm,” he stutters, appearing next to me and taking it out of the shelf. “It’s my tool kit. I like to make clay figures.”

I step back and look at him with wide eyes. “That’s how you were so good at pottery?”

He shoots me a sheepish smile.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!” I exclaim and give his upper arm a playful slap. “That’s so cool! Show me something you made.”

He sets down the suitcase and looks at one of the little figures I’d just adored.

“Shut up,” I step closer and inspect it again. It’s so tiny, and the color application is so perfect. I was convinced it’d been a bought one. “You’re really good at this.”

“Thank you,” he mumbles, and I see a hint of red creeping up his cheeks. It’s adorable. “I’ll have to show you the others sometime. They’re way better. That one was rushed.” He points at the figurine in front of me.

“Yes to the pictures, but don’t put yourself down. It’s amazing,” I point out and follow him to the table. The puzzle sits on it, looking all innocent, but I just know it’s going to kick my butt.

We sit opposite each other and start.

"Damn, you even got a hard one, only color gradient?" My leg inches forward, until I can rest the arch of my foot against his calf. It’s calming to touch him, reassuring me of his gentle presence. “You’re crazy.”

"Yeah, I like a challenge," he says with a cheeky wink. And again, I have the feeling that he's talking about something else. He doesn’t add anything, though. Instead, he dumps all the puzzle pieces on the table and begins sorting them by color.

I start by searching for all the edge pieces, arranging them according to where I think they might go. Before I even find the first match, he already has a piece from somewhere in the middle locked together.

I whistle, impressed. "You're really damn good at this."

Another wink as he pops a different group of pieces together. "I know."

I shake my head at him, laughing, and flick one of the pieces at him, before I go back to trying to find my first match. My eyes scan the whole table, intent on finding two pieces that belong together but I start to think I’m turning blind.

It was a good idea. At last, my mind is off the elephant in the room–until he brings the topic right up, just as I finally find two pieces that fit.

"So, I talked to my family," he says, but at first, his words don’t even register in my head. Then they settle, and I tense when I realize that we’re having the conversation now. God, I don’t feel ready.

I don’t dare move, not even to lift my head, instead looking at him through my lashes. "They demand a vacation if the ruckus turns out to be too much, but aside from that, they're okay with us going public. They weren't too thrilled, but for some reason, they love me." He grins and leans forward, lifting my chin with his finger, but I still avoid his eyes. "And even though Summer would never admit it, they like seeing me happy."

My eyes lock with his hesitantly, my heart beating like a horse in a gallop, and emotion clogs my throat. Is he saying what I think he's saying?

"I've also talked to Asher–“ he continues, and I tense again, not trusting that this is real. Asher told him not to do it, for sure. Right? “– and I'm in this, Sunshine. He's annoyed, but from what he's telling me and what I've seen online from skimming those two’s appearances in the news, it seems manageable, I think. Van won’t be thrilled, but when has he ever been?" He rolls his eyes, and I can't contain the giggle that suddenly bursts out of me, like a bird breaking free from its cage, the bubble filled with anxiety in my stomach bursting at once.

"So, we're doing this?" I ask him, blinking away the sting in my eyes, unable to hide the excitement in my voice. “Security is going to be crazy, you know?” The butterflies are going crazy in my stomach and my hands are shaking with emotion.

"I know. But hell yes, we're doing this," he grins at me widely, and I just know what he means when he calls me Sunshine. His face lights up in a way that makes me always want to face him, and without any conscious decision. I'm suddenly on the other side of the table, flinging my arms around his neck, jumping into his lap, and burying my face where his shoulder meets his throat to breathe him in. And for the first time this evening, I actually relax.

Holy shit, I never even realized how tense the muscles in my neck were until now.

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