The Edge of the Sphere by Thea Landen

Author:Thea Landen [Landen, Thea]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-19T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

The tranquil pond in the forest looked exactly as it had the last time Liora had visited it. An overwhelming sense of relief washed over her when she heard footsteps rustling through the grass behind her. She whirled around to see Stephen rushing toward her, and she ran into his open arms. “Thank goodness you’re here!”

“I…hey! You can talk!”

She released him from her tight embrace to stare into his wonderful gray eyes. “I guess it’s easier to reach you when you’re not so far away from me.”

“Either way, I’m glad we’re together.”

He tilted her chin upward to kiss her, and she welcomed the feeling of his soft lips against her own. Guilt tainted her enjoyment of the act, however, and she pulled away from him, dropping to her knees in the grass at the edge of the water.

“I’m so sorry,” she said as he sat down next to her. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. I really wasn’t thinking things through.” The first hints of tears stung at the corners of her eyes. “I was being selfish. I just wanted to bring you here, and be with you, and…” She shook her head. “And I’m still being selfish! I haven’t even asked if you’re okay.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He smiled at her, but it was tinged with a wistfulness which had never been present in his previous excited grins. “I think I’m fine. Sometimes, I’m not sure if everything that’s happened actually happened, you know? I mean, I know I’m dreaming now, but even when I wake up, I don’t know if I’m going to be at home, or in some strange place I’ve never heard of, or somewhere else entirely.”

Liora laid a hand on his knee. “I know I’ve put you through a lot. I feel bad.”

“Don’t.” His gaze returned to the serene water. “I may be a little homesick, and I’m sure my sister must be wondering where I disappeared off to by this point, but I needed a change. I was going through the motions for far too long. Nothing was important to me.” He inhaled a deep breath. “And then you appeared out of nowhere.”

“So I did.”

“It’s kind of funny. I felt more awake in my dreams than I did anywhere else. I knew you were alive, that you were real, and you stirred something inside me.” He glanced at her. “So, I don't want you to be upset. I made a choice. I chose to take a chance on you because I needed to know what existed between us.”

“You weren’t what I originally expected to find,” she admitted as she crawled in front of him. “But you turned out to be so much more. You’re kind...” She kissed his forehead. “Creative...” The next kiss landed on his nose. “And filled with such restrained passion, I wanted to be as close to you as possible and learn how to set it free.” Her last descriptor was punctuated with a lingering kiss to his lips.

The grass provided an adequate cushion as he pulled her down.

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