Page 19 of Secrets & Curses of Fate

“I’m glad it was you,” he whispered. “I’m glad the stars decided that you were the one for me. I don’t think I could have picked anyone better.”?

That damn guilt pierced into my heart.

“You are everything,” I answered back.

I pulled back and kissed him again before moving so he could get back to work. Haden hesitated for only a moment before he stood up and went outside for more wood. I read my book in silence for a while before I noticed that Haden hadn’t come inside for a long time. I stood up and went looking for him, finding him at the tree line, bent over doing something. I waited for him to turn around.?

When he did, he held up a giant bundle of flowers and began running over to me. I smiled at him as he got closer.?

“I thought you might want some of these.” He handed them to me.?

“I love wildflowers.” I smelled them.?

Haden watched me for a moment before looking around.?

“I’m done working for the day. Do you want to go somewhere with me?”?

I nodded eagerly. He grabbed my hand and led us into the house to grab the food he had brought with him, smiling at me as I followed him closely with the food in one hand and my hand in the other; we took off into the woods.?

?????????

We walked for a long while before the sound of rushing water faintly reached my ears. It grew louder as we gradually got closer to the source. I was so excited to just spend the day with Haden that I didn’t even wonder what we could be doing. I looked around and noticed that the familiar birch trees were mixed with a different type of leafy tree here.?

“There is a town in that direction.” Haden nodded to the right. “Raynor, I think. I’m not sure; I haven’t been there before. But I stumbled upon this one day.”?

We broke through the tree line and stepped into what felt like another world. A babbling stream ran through the trees and fell over the nearby rock wall as a small waterfall, emptying the mountain water into a large lake below. A hazy mist filled the air around us, causing rainbows to form when the midday sunlight tried to shine through it. Near us, the edges of the stream were covered with wildflowers, displaying varying colors to mix with the rainbows from around us in an overload of color and sweet perfume. My mouth fell open at how beautiful it was. I dropped Haden’s hand so I could run toward the water’s edge for a better view. The waterfall was not very large, but it fell from such a distance that it created the loud roaring noise we had been hearing.

“You like it, Storm?”?

I turned toward him and nodded.?

“This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” I smiled.?

“I can think of something a bit prettier.” Haden gave me a flirty grin when I looked at him. “But it's up there.”?

My cheeks flushed with heat as he watched me closely. After a moment, he grabbed the blanket he brought and laid it on the ground before slipping off his boots and tunic.?

“What are you doing?” I asked.?

“Swimming.”?

I glanced at the water for a moment in disbelief before looking back at him.?

“It’s going to be freezing.”?

Another smile overtook his face.?“Go feel it,” he said mischievously.?

I hesitated for only a moment before leaning down and gliding my fingers through the water, pleasantly surprised by its warmth. What the hell? I dipped my hand in again and smiled at the temperature of the water. It was almost… soothing. I turned back toward Haden and gasped to see that he was practically naked. My eyes dragged down his body slowly before coming back up and meeting his.

Heat crept up my neck when I saw him watching me stare. “Why is it warm?” I asked, looking for a reason to change the subject.?

He shrugged.?

“I have no idea. But it makes for the perfect temperature to swim. Are you coming in? I will turn so you can get undressed.”?

I glanced at the water before swallowing hard.?

“I don’t know how to swim.”?

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