Page 90 of Fated

“Telling me about your life isn’t a burden, Ash.” I placed myhand on his. “I understand if you don’t want to talk about it, but when you’re ready, I’ll be here to listen.”

He remained still for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh. “I remember everything now. There are things I’m not proud of, things I’ve never told anyone.”

I nodded, though there came a slight sinking feeling at the thought that he didn’t trust me enough to share such things about himself.

“Hey,” he said, hooking my chin with his finger and turning my face to look at him. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, but I guess I’m just afraid. You never judged me before, because of the curse, but now … Now, I … What if you don’t like the things you learn about me?”

Ash was scared, nervous that revealing his truth would change how I viewed him.

“There are things I know, thingsyouneed to know,” he continued, his voice low. “It’s just that we have been down here, protected in a bubble, away from the dangers and problems above. I can’t help but want to keep it that way, to protect you. After everything you’ve been through, it feels selfish for me to even think about dragging you into the mess of my world.”

He paused, his face pained, his eyes desperate as they met mine.

Then he added, “I can’t help but feel you’re better off down here … safer.”

“Ash, listen to me,” I said firmly, my voice steady. “First, I am hopelessly in love with you. I fell in love withthis.” I tapped his chest. “Nothing you tell me is going to change that.”

His gaze softened, but I pressed on.

“Second, I am part of your world now, like it or not. I’m already caught up in whatever mess awaits us, and it’s not yourjob to protect me from it. I don’t want you to shield me from the truth.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but I continued before he could speak.

“And third, I want to know everything about you. The good, the bad, all of it. What burdens you also burdens me, and I want to help carry those burdens with you, the same way I know you want to help carry mine. So, stop treating me like I’m something fragile that will break. I’m ready to face whatever comes next. You and me, together, the same way we’ve faced everything else.”

I smiled and then as sternly as I could manage, added, “And we are done with the brooding; you’re more than I could’ve ever imagined, and nothing’s going to scare me away.”

He stared at me, his eyes searching mine.

I lifted my chin slightly, daring him to challenge me. “Do you understand me?”

For a moment, he said nothing, but a smirk slowly formed on his mouth. “It’s sexy when you act all bossy.”His voice echoed inside my head.

I nearly jumped out of my seat. “What …” I stammered, trying to form words, but then something far more pressing struck me. “Wait, can you read my thoughts?”

Panic crept into my voice.

There was no amusement in his tone when he responded. “I would never break into your mind, Areya.”

“Right,” I nodded. “Any other special magical abilities I should know about before you give me an actual heart attack?”

A sudden seriousness washed over him, and he nodded. I braced myself for whatever revelation was about to come.

“I can do this thing with my tongue …”

Before he could finish, I shot my hand over his mouth, my eyes darting around to make sure no one overheard. My face burned as muffled laughter exploded beneath my fingers.

Removing my hand, I crossed my arms, struggling to suppress any amusement on my face. Ash, though, was grinning mischievously, his laughter dying down.

But before I could relax, my chair suddenly slid toward his, our seats now touching.

I glanced at him; he hadn’t moved a muscle.

Before I could react, the room around me shifted, blurring and warping until it reformed into something entirely different. I blinked, finding myself staring at a baby fox in a pet shop window. My mouth fell open in shock.

“How?” I stammered.

“An illusion, a trick of the mind,” he said casually.

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