Chapter 54
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
ASTRID
“You walk so fast,” I murmured, breathing heavily.
Out of all the places that Frasier could’ve taken me, we ended up in the same place as last time—the middle of the forest. I still couldn’t wrap my head around him being a nature, hiking kinda guy, but this man was power-walking through the woods in front of me.
I had pushed Calix out of my mind—or at least, I had tried to.
“Forgot the pregnant lady is out of shape,” Frasier said, pausing for me.
“I am not out of shape,” I huffed. And I am not pregnant either.
The sound of waves crashing against the shore drifted through my ears, and I squinted my eyes, attempting to see through the woods at my darkening surroundings. While it was supposed to get darker later, it was still dark so goddamn early.
“Where are we?” I asked.
Frasier captured my hand. “You’ll see soon.”
I stepped over a tree knot. “You’re really into hiking?”
“What? Still can’t peg me as the outdoorsy type?”
“I mean”—I smirked—“if you want, I can peg you. Just not outdoors.”
“Don’t tempt me, babe. I’ll let you, if that’s what you want.”
Warmth exploded through my body because while it wasn’t something that I had ever fantasized about, the way that Frasier was willing to do anything for me just because I wanted him to made me clench.
Too bad Calix can’t be the same way. Still not over that ho.
With my hand wrapped tightly around his because the tree roots were becoming the only thing to walk over, I shook my head. “Yeah, sure, let me think about it. Maybe we can record it and share it on social media so the school has something else to gossip about.”
“We can do that.”
I arched a brow and looked over at him, catching that smug smirk. “Oh, yeah?”
“The whole school getting to see you fuck me?” he murmured. “It’s what I dream about.”
A laugh left my mouth. “Shut up.”
“I’m serious, babe,” he said, pausing once we reached the top of the mountain. “Why don’t we start by recording tonight and sending it to The Crew to see what they have to say about me fucking our girl?”
“What are we going to do—”
Before I could finish my sentence, my jaw dropped open slightly. I had lived in Redwood all my life, but I had never seen something like this before. The ocean stretched out in front of us for miles and miles, the moonlight shimmering on the water’s surface like liquid silver.
Frasier grabbed a blanket out of his backpack and tossed it onto the ground, feet away from the cliff that jutted out toward the sea. Stars twinkled up above in the sky. I walked closer to the cliff, realizing how high we had climbed.
“Wow,” I whispered. “It’s beautiful.”
“Just like you,” he said.
I cut my gaze to him and burst out laughing. “Frasier, you are not the cheesy type.”
“You’re right,” he said, gesturing to the blanket. “Get down there. Face down. Ass up.”
“Don’t tempt me, babe,” I said, shooting his words back at him.
Once Frasier sat down on the blanket, he stared over the edge of the cliff and out to the ocean. I plopped down next to him and released a long sigh that I had been holding in since I had sped over to his house.
Today had been fucked. Absolutely fucked.
“You good?” he asked softly.
“I don’t know.”
“Is it Calix?”
“Yes.”
“He’s been a psycho bitch over you all day.”
“Over me?” I scoffed. “Yeah, right. Doesn’t seem like it sometimes.”
A long silence stretched on between us, and then Frasier brushed his thigh against mine. “You know, I really meant what I texted you earlier. If you need anything, tell me, and I’ll handle it for you, if it has to do with Calix or the baby.”
In my mind, Frasier had always been the playboy, the flirt, the guy who would never settle down. Yet everything seemed so genuine with him, always. My stomach twisted as I wondered if he was just playing me like Calix had been.
Still, it felt so real.
“Frasier,” I murmured, “about the rumor …”
“What about it?”
“You can’t tell anyone, but … I’m not actually pregnant.”
Frasier paused for a moment, then shook his head. “Damn it.”
My eyes widened, as I hadn’t expected that to come out of his mouth. “What?”
His smug smirk returned. “I knew it.”
“How?”
“Come on, baby,” he said, drawing out the words. “You would’ve told me first.”
I rolled my eyes. “No, I wouldn’t have.”
“Don’t lie to yourself.”
He moved closer, his warm breath fanning my face. I shivered at how close we were.
He tucked some hair behind my ear, his fingers just grazing against my cheek. “You love me.”
I sucked in a breath. “I’m not lying.”
His gaze dropped to my lips. “But you love me?”
My heart was pounding inside my chest. “Wh-what?”
“Do you love me, Astrid?” he asked, his intense eyes on mine.
“Do I … do I love you?” I repeated.
How … can … What do I say to that?
He drew his nose up mine. “Do. You. Love. Me?”
My gaze traveled from one of his eyes to the other. “I … it … you …”
“It’s a yes or no answer,” he murmured, lips millimeters from mine. “Do you love me, Astrid?”
“Yes,” I whispered, crashing my lips against his. “Yes, I love you.”