Chapter 24 #3
It took a stranger like Helen mere minutes to see it. Yet even after she pointed it out, I never once considered she could be right. Is it possible my perceived opinions on him clouded my perception of him, leaving me unable to see him as anything other than who I had labeled him to be?
Too stunned by his revelation, I don’t realize that I’ve been staring at him and haven’t spoken yet.
Henry lightly tugs on my hand and whispers, “Please say something.”
A grin forms on my face, knowing exactly how I want to respond to him. “What if I tell you I’m just as much in love with you?”
He looks at me, shocked, questioning if he’s heard me incorrectly. “Really?”
I nod enthusiastically, and soon we are locked in an embrace, laughing with joy now that we know our feelings for each other are equally reciprocated.
I smile, taking in his familiar scent of mint and cedarwood.
Now that I’m breathing it in up close, I realize I’ve come to associate this scent with a feeling of comfort, of ease—almost like being at home.
“You don’t know how long I wanted to hear you say those words,” he whispers into my ear.
“Believe it when I say it, because it’s true.”
I remain in his arms after we break apart, our faces mere inches apart.
Being this close, I see him in an entirely new light—the different colors that swim inside his irises, the length of his eyelashes, the shape of his full lips.
This closeness, this lack of distance, is new.
And as frightening as it may be at first, it also feels right, as if there is no other place we’re meant to be.
Henry places his hand on my cheek. His eyes flick between my lips and my eyes. “May I kiss you?”
I nod against his cupped hand and wait as he leans closer.
On instinct, I close my eyes and tilt my chin as Henry cups the other side of my face, pulling me in.
I try not to panic about what to do—seeing as I’ve never been kissed before—but the fear soon washes away as our lips meet softly.
What starts off being in unknown territory soon becomes instinctual, letting passion lead the way.
I feel him deepen the kiss, and I welcome it, no longer caring if I ever take another breath of air again. His lips taste sweet, like summer rain and honey, but also with a dash of Merlot. The wind blows around us, forcing my short hair to whip around his hands, but it doesn’t stop us.
Every inch of my body feels like it’s on fire, like it’s alive for the first time.
As much as I want this to never end, I know we must part eventually.
After what feels like ages, we slowly stop and break free.
Catching our breaths, we gaze into each other’s eyes, wide grins on our faces.
My cheeks are a deep red, just as Henry’s are.
His lips are pink and puffy, as mine must be as well.
“Is this what being kissed is like?” I tease, placing my cold fingertips onto my cheeks to cool them down.
“I imagine it must be with the one you love,” Henry answers, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.
“I only ever kissed one girl before you, and I don’t think fourteen-year-old me, giving a nervous small peck to the Duke of Trent’s niece, really counts.
” A smirk rises onto his face. “But I’m much inclined to keep kissing you like that for as long as I live. ”
“You certainly won’t be hearing any protests from me,” I say, grinning.
For another hour, we sit on the beach, his arm wrapped around me as I lean into him, my head resting on his shoulder, taking in the serene environment.
Every few minutes, we glance into each other’s eyes, filled with enamored love, wondering if any of what transpired truly happened.
If at any moment I might wake in my bed, having dreamt it all.
Yet every time Henry plants a kiss on the top of my head, I lightly pinch myself to prove all of it is real.
Eventually, we head back to the cottage.
As we walk hand-in-hand, we reminisce about our shortened expedition.
Recalling comical stories of how Grandad attempted to speak Greek to a local, asking for directions, and instead, told the man he soiled his trousers.
Or when Amina was able to convincingly fool us all by saying she was a descendant of Cleopatra.
Relishing memories of a time when we were all together, fulfilling our lifelong dreams, when this Eudaemon business never existed.
We can only hope our bout of good luck will carry on to the end of this journey.
As excited as I am to see everyone again, their impending arrival still means we have a long road ahead of us. From unbinding me to the artifacts to destroying their powers before the likes of Dr. Richmond can get his hands on them.
But long roads are never accompanied by easy choices and unscathed outcomes. In fact, they almost always end with heartbreak and painful goodbyes.
After days like today, I know the choices I face will become harder and tougher to enact, leaving me to wonder who I will ultimately put first—myself or humanity.