Page 131 of Point of No Return

He grabs hold of the basket with one arm, and the other, he rests over my shoulders. We ease down the stairs, and he only pauses once to blow out a slow, pained breath before we hobble the rest of the way down.

A dragging ache is biting at my side, but I nibble my cheek as the edge of the dock comes into view. We take the last few steps together before I gently help him onto the edge, allowing his leg to dangle over. He groans just the slightest as he adjusts into a more comfortable position, and I wince as I ease down next to him. He rests the basket between us.

“Your side okay?” I glare at him in answer, and he shakes his head with a stubborn smile as I offer him his coffee. I take a sip from my own as I watch the weaving waves pass under the dock. “Is Skar coming down soon?”

At the mention of him, my heart skips a beat. He was asleep when I left, and though the servants prepared rooms for each of us to have our own, we’ve spent every night of the last week in his. The memory of the past few days fills me.

Every night he holds me. We usually fall asleep after hours of talking. We’ve talked about anything- everything. And now that I’ve officially revealed more to him than I ever have with anyone, I don’t know why I still have this queasy feeling in my stomach.

The truth is that I’ve had this morning planned since the moment we left the hospital. I wrote the letter in the car on the way to Venine while Skar drove. A letter I left on his nightstand to read whenever he wakes up.

Despite the past week, despite the months he spent searching for me, I still don’t know what he might say. He holds my heart in his hands, and he has every reason- every chance- to crush it.

“I hope so.” I swallow another sip of coffee. I dig into the basket and withdraw the greasy breakfast burritos I spent the morning making.

“You’re a saint,” he sings, and I smile as he immediately unwraps it and happily swallows a couple of bites. “Oh my god,” he grumbles around the food, and I laugh.

“Food goes in your mouth, not on your shirt. Thank you.”

“It’s so good,” he moans, and I happily take a bite of my own.

We contentedly munch on our breakfast, and between sips of coffee, an overwhelming sense of peace washes over me.

Aleks’ golden hair dazzles in the sun, and when he wipes his hands clean on his shirt, I see an opportunity. “I… I think there’s something else in there for you.” I push the basket toward him, and when he gives me a weird look, I dig in and set a long box in his lap.

Without even opening it, his entire face lights up.

“For when you walk again,” I explain as he takes it out and examines the black cane. A serpent is carved into it, the twin to the tattoo on his arm.

“Holy shit,” he looks at it in amazement, and when he sees theAWTBengraved into the handle, he crashes into me so hard I wince as pain splits down my side. He hugs me tightly, pulling back when I groan. “Sorry. Charlotte, this is…”

“You’re welcome,” I smile, and he pulls back enough that I can see the gratitude on his face.

From the corner of my eye, I see movement, and when we both glance up, my heart stalls. Skar is there watching us.

He looks just as handsome as always, hair tousled by sleep and tattoos peeking out from beneath his white tee. My heart is in my throat, and I force myself to pay attention to Aleks as he glances between Skar and I.

“Were you in on this too?”

A small smile graces Skar’s face. “Maybe.”

“Thank you,” Aleks says. “Both of you.”

“Why don’t you give it a test run?” Skar suggests.

I’m aware of every inch between us as he walks and settles on the ground just behind me, trapping me between his lean legs. I search his face, knowing he read the note, but he’s blank. Unreadable.

“Good morning,” I whisper, and when my voice wobbles, I silently curse myself.

He’s the only person in the world who can make me so nervous. When Aleks stands, testing his weight on the cane, my eyes drift toward him.

“If you fall off the dock, I’m not coming in after you.”

He waves me off. “Yeah, yeah.”

My body tenses when Skar’s hand traces the line of my shoulder suddenly. His fingertips follow my collarbone, the touch feather-light and gentle enough that goosebumps cover my skin.

He brushes the barest of kisses beneath my ear, his voice gruff. “Good morning.”

---