Page 52 of Reign of Light
“How were Roley and Mara?” he asks, and a smile tugs at my lips.
“Were you watching me?” I ask, tilting my head back to look up at him.
His eyes glitter in the moonlight as he looks down at me. “I’m always watching you.”
“That doesn’t sound obsessive at all,” I joke.
His chest vibrates with a low chuckle. “I can’t help it. Even if it wasn’t my job, I still wouldn’t be able to take my eyes off you.”
Warmth blooms in my chest at his words, but it’s tinged with sadness as I think of the answer to his question, the reason behind it.
“They’ll be alright.” My voice is almost a whisper as I drop my gaze back down to the fire. Silence falls between us as the heaviness of my answer settles. It’s final, and while we were all eventually fine with the island’s decision, this time feels like more.
His cheek presses into the side of my head, and his warm breath tickles my ear. After long moments of only the crackle of the flames and the distant jovial chatter of the rest of the crew, Weston finally breaks the silence.
“Are you going to tell me what upset you earlier?”
The conversation with Sig comes rushing back to me, along with my worries that Weston has stronger feelings of loss than he’s led on. The guilt I feel for causing this fallout with Dane is like an overwhelming wave, especially knowing that somewhere deep down, he did actually see a future for us back home, no matter what he has said out loud.
I shake my head. “No.”
“Alright,” he murmurs, and presses a kiss just behind my ear. He doesn’t pry or question; he just accepts my response. I take a deep breath and curve onto myself, sinking closer into him, and he clutches me tighter with one arm, reaching out with the other and resting it on his bent knee beside me.
We sit in companionable silence as I try not to think more about what Sig said, and instead focus on the sounds of the beach around us. Light glints in the corner of my eye, and glance to the side to find the fire reflecting off the golden metal of Weston’s First Guard ring.
My eyes fixate on it as nerves tumble through my stomach. Before I can stop myself, the words spill from my mouth.
“Do you have any regrets?” My head stays straight, but my gaze is still stuck on his ring as I wait for his response.
He takes a moment before his voice rumbles in my ear.
“Is that why you were upset? You think I have regrets?”
“Just answer the question.”
He chuckles softly. “So demanding. Yes. I do have regrets.”
I tilt my head back to find him already looking down at me. “Really?”
“Mhmh,” he hums, and his chest vibrates against my back, but he doesn’t elaborate.
“Are you going to tell me what they are?” I ask, and the glint in his eyes is playful.
His hand runs up and down the side of my thigh, stroking my tight-fitting pants that are finally drying under the heat of the fire. “I regret never having had the chance to see you in a ballgown.”
I huff a laugh. “You didn’t miss much. I didn’t wear them often because there wasn’t any need to. Besides, it’s just a dress.”
“That’s true.” He presses a kiss onto the top of my shoulder, then slowly trails them up my neck until his lips brush my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “But getting to watch you dance all night, knowing that I’ll be the one taking it off you later is something I regret missing.”
My breath catches in my throat, but my mind snags on one specific word.
“Watching? You would be the one dancing with me.”
His sad laugh makes my heart sink. “We both know that’s not how it would be.” His voice drops even lower, and I can hear the sadness in it. “It was just a bedtime story, sweetheart.”
“Well then, don’t regret it,” I say, dropping my chin down to face the flames. “That’s not the life we were meant to live. You get to take my clothes off all you want here.”
His growl rumbles in my ear. “The way it should be. I like it better when you’re naked.”
