Page 36 of Love Hazard

“Tell me the truth,” I whispered. “Are you okay?”

I could see the strain in his face. “I don’t think so. No.”

I rubbed both hands down his back. “Well, I guess it’s agood thing we aren’t getting attacked by a bear, it gives me the opportunity tobe the one attacking.”

Tears filled his green eyes. “I don’t know if I’m ever goingto be whole, Hazel.”

I leaned up and kissed his jaw, then found his lips beforepulling away. “Don’t be stupid, August. You were never supposed to be whole tobegin with. When you really think about it, how can you share your soul withsomeone who has no space left? It’s all about the fractured pieces and thepeople in your life that fill them—so beautiful and ugly at the same time. Youhave damage? Missing pieces? Wounds? Scars? That’s why people are brought intoyour life. It may not be pretty, but what a beautiful mess in the end, don’tyou think? All the colors? The personalities? The disasters? I’m sure I have aspot in some of those cracks, some of those missing pieces. Think of it as anhonor when people stand by your side, rather than find you lacking in any way.”

A tear slid down his cheek and dropped onto his chest. “Whomade you so wise?”

I proudly stared him down and whispered, “My great-grandma. Warriors stick together, you know. Plus”—Iturned my right hand over and showed him my wrist, where I had a small hearttattoo—“Great-Grandma Nadine Lainheartis infused in me. So, when her soul left, I kept her memories and wisdom andput them in a small tattoo so that no matter what I touched or did with myhands, I’d be reminded of how powerful my words are. How powerful a helpinghand can be.”

“Did that extend to me?” He brushed his thumb over the hearttattoo.

“Oh, no. I hated you. But she did give me one piece ofadvice about the boy next door.”

“Oh, yeah?” he asked. “What was that?”

“We fight what we love the most because we’re afraid if wedon’t fight for it, we won’t actually deserve it in the end.”

“Maybe.” He swiped his thumb across my lower lip. “We’llnever deserve those precious things. Maybe the point is to try to earn themevery day.”

“One hole and bear at a time,” I joked.

His mouth slanted against mine over and over, and I was lostin the waves crashing against the beach while he peeled off his shirt, thenfollowed it by removing mine. Clothes rustled, wavesslammed the sand. The taste of wine blessed my tongue as he parted my lipsagain.

No more words were spoken.

They weren’t needed.

Sometimes, the best conversations happened when you listenedto the soft breaths of the person next to you, the sounds of nature around you,the air giving you life. And at the end of the day,the slow beats of someone’s heart.

When it beat for you.

ChapterThirteen

“All things end, but that also means all things begin,right?”—August Wellington

August

“More.” I’d egged her on. I was desperate for more. I didn’teven remember stripping us down as I thrust into her and rolled my hips,needing her more than anything in my life.

She didn’t complain, just clung to me like she knew I neededthe connection—as if she’d known the entire time, just like I did.

The fear.

The terror of finding a person you knew you could be with. Aperson you could also lose.

It was over almost before it began, and then, an hour later,she was on top of me again, moving her hips this time, gripping me by the hairand kissing down my chest. “Mmmmm, need more.”

I met her movements. “I don’t think I want to stop.”

“Then don’t.”

So, we didn’t.

Something beautiful was happening, something strange,something I was afraid to say out loud.

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