Page 107 of The Fate of Us

When we got to the house just before sunset last night, Noah told me to hang out on the porch while he cooked dinner.

I let the waves bring a new melody to my soul as the sun slowly set. When Noah finally let me in the house, he had a candlelit dinner on the table and a fire roaring in the fireplace. Just like that night we spent here when we professed our love for each other.

It was magical. Just like the love between us.

His fingers run up and down my arms as we watch the tide roll in. The beach has yet to get crowded, so it’s nice to have the time with just the two of us.

“I love you,” Noah whispers in my ear.

I lean back onto his shoulder and press a kiss to his jaw. “I love you too.”

He leans in and presses his mouth to mine, my hand reaching up to the back of his neck. His other hand presses between my legs and I groan just as the squeal of a child breaks us apart.

“Maybe we should move this inside,” I mumble against his lips.

He bites on my bottom lip. “Nope, I have plans for you today.”

I twist in his arms and kneel in front of him. “We finally have all the time in the world together and you don’t want to spend it between the sheets?”

He laughs as his arms wrap around my hips, squeezing my ass. “Mayberry, of course I do. But after our plans.”

I fold my arms across my chest and pout. He chuckles as his thumb moves across my lips. “We’ve already fucked twice this morning. I think you can wait.”

“Fine,” I acquiesce, standing as I do. “Let’s get a move on.”

He stands up and smacks my ass. “What am I going to do with you?”

“Where do you want me to start? I might have packed some handcuffs,” I joke.

“Mmm. Keep talking.” He smiles and his lips find mine again.

I wrap my hands around his back, sliding under his shirt. “Maybe a few costumes.”

His hands move into my hair as he pulls me against him in a tight embrace. “Now you are just making things up.”

I hold him tight before we head back into the cottage. He packs a picnic into a backpack as I grab some treats for Brutus.

He hasn’t told me where we are going even though I keep begging him. He puts everything into the back of the Scout and I notice he brought my guitar too.

After an hour drive, we pull up to a forest preserve near Hilton Head. The view of live oak, Spanish moss, and pines picturesque as I take it all in. Noah grabs the backpack out of the Scout and puts Brutus on a leash as I grab my guitar.

“Have you been here before?” Noah asks me.

I shake my head.

“Good.”

I look at him as he adjusts the shades on his face wondering why he brought me here. He heads toward the boardwalk that leads through the oak trees, moss hanging across the path. I follow him as I take in the sounds of nature, the beauty of it all.

We make small talk as we head through the swamp. Laughing as Brutus tries to jump into the murky water. I can see a clearing up ahead and Noah stops in front of me, blocking my view.

“I want us to have a space of our own. An escape we can go to when we need to get away. Just us.”

I place my hand on his chest and smile. “We have the cottage. That is ours. The only memories I have of it now are happy ones.”

Noah leans down and presses a kiss to my lips. As he pulls away, he drags a finger up my arm tracing the wildflower tattoos on it. “I want you to have this too.”

He steps away and I walk a few steps more until I am in the clearing. I stop in my tracks as I am greeted by a field of wildflowers. Larkspur, poppies, alyssum, and cornflower flood my vision and infiltrate my senses. It’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen and I know immediately I want to recreate it in our backyard in Asheville.

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