Page 54 of Dark Shaman: Love Found
"I'm happy." The words came out sounding almost surprised. "I didn't think I could be happy again after...after everything. But sitting here with you, I feel like myself again. Or maybe a new version of myself. Someone I actually like."
"I know exactly what you mean," Ruvon said. "Before I met you, I was just going through the motions. Existing but not living. You changed that."
She squeezed his fingers. "We've changed each other, and it happened so fast that I feel dizzy."
He didn't say that compared to other fated mates, they were progressing slowly.
She wasn't ready to hear that from him. Not yet.
The drive to the Getty took them through several different neighborhoods, and Arezoo watched it all with curious eyes.
"Los Angeles is so big," she said as they wound up the hill toward the museum. "Tehran is big too, but different. This city feels endless."
"Wait until you see the view from the gardens."
The museum's parking garage and the tram up to the hilltop were a marvel of engineering, but after the wonders of the village, he and Arezoo were not easily impressed. They took the tram up to the main buildings, Arezoo pressing close to his side as the city spread out below them.
"Look," she breathed. "You can see the ocean."
Later, as they wandered through the galleries, Arezoo stopped to read every placard. In the medieval manuscripts room, she was awed by the illuminated texts.
"They're like jewelry on paper," she said. "Look at the gold leaf. And the blue—it must be lapis lazuli."
"You know about medieval manuscript printing techniques?"
She nodded. "I know a little."
They moved through the Renaissance paintings, the classical sculptures, and the photography exhibits. Arezoo had opinions about everything, some pieces making her frown, others leaving her speechless with admiration, but to Ruvon, she was the most fascinating exhibit of all. Watching her excitement was definitely worth the price of admission.
"Art is so personal," she said as they stood before an abstract painting that was all swirls of blue and green. "You and I can look at the same thing and see something completely different."
He saw only her, but he didn't say that.
"What do you see?" he asked instead.
She tilted her head. "The ocean during a storm. All that power and beauty and danger mixed together. What about you?"
"Freedom," he said without thinking. "Breaking free from constraints, finding your own path."
"I like that interpretation better," she said. "Less scary than mine."
They ended up in the gardens as the afternoon sun began to soften. The view was spectacular—the city stretching to the ocean, mountains rising in the other direction. Arezoo stood at the railing, wind playing with the loose strands of her ponytail.
"Thank you for bringing me here," she said. "I had a great time."
"This is just the beginning," Ruvon said. "There's so much to see in Los Angeles. Museums, theaters, beaches, and mountains. We could explore something new every week for years and not run out of places."
"Years," she repeated.
"Too much?"
"No." She turned to face him. "I like it. The idea that we have time. That there's no rush."
They found a bench tucked into an alcove of the garden, surrounded by lavender and rosemary. The herbs scented the air, and bees hummed lazily from flower to flower. Other visitors wandered the paths, but it felt private in their sheltered spot.
"I've been thinking." Arezoo leaned against him. "About us. About what this is."
Ruvon's heart rate spiked, but he kept his voice steady. "What have you concluded?"
