CAMILLA’S P.O.V


    The moment Marie started trying to get me out into the garden, I knew there was something else going


    on which was part of the reason why I wasn’t surprised to see Ryker there. We hadn’t spoken since I


    somewhat agreed to the dates and I expected some kind of heads up before he nned anything but it


    seemed I was wrong because he stood therepletely stoic in front of a fruit tree. His back was to


    me but I knew he was aware of my presence. It was obvious in the way he was unnaturally still.


    “What are you looking at?” I decided to break the silence and he turned to me. “Let’s not beat about the


    bush with each other, please. I would very much prefer if we were just honest. Did you ask Marie to get


    me?”


    “No,” I could tell he wasn’t lying but he also wasn’t telling me the truth. I crossed my arms over my


    chest and he sighed. “I helped her with something and we had a conversation. She decided toe


    get you, I didn’t ask her. to. If anything, I had asked Christine to get you in a few minutes time.”


    “The date,” I deduced and he nodded


    I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. Some part of me wanted to stay, wanted to experience it and see what


    was going to happen. I wanted to be brave, I wanted to take risks but at the same time, I was also


    scared. No one ever realized how scary it was to not know who they are. It was the one thing that


    drove us and sure, I knew I was using it as a crutch but I needed something totch onto and I didn’t


    have that.


    “If you don’t want to,” he began but I shook my head.


    “I’m fine, I’m just trying to mentally prepare myself.”


    “We can reschedule it for another day. We don’t have to do anything.”


    “Audrey is in school, Aurora is asleep and everyone is busy. I think this is the best time that we will get


    to ourselves,” I joked and the fact that he didn’t disagree with me led me to know that I was right. “It is a


    harmless date, I can handle it. Lead the way.”


    I saw relief settle on his shoulders and for the first time, it hit me that Ryker was also having a hard


    time. I never stopped to think about just how difficult this could be for him. He had his mate but couldn’t


    completely have her. I wasn’t the only one suffering as a result of my lost memories- we all were. Us,


    the children and everyone else involved who had to deal with the fallout. It was terrifying and to me, it


    resembled the blind leading each other.


    Ryker didn’t say a single word as he led me into the woods. I would have thought that there would be


    some form of fear at being alone in the woods but the truth was that I had never felt as protected.


    There was something about Ryker, something that led me to know that under no circumstances would


    he allow any kind of harm toe to me. He wasn’t doing anything extraordinary, he was just holding


    my hand as he led me deeper but I had never felt so safe in my life.


    “Are you okay back there?” he asked snapping me out of my thoughts and I turned to him. “You have


    been deathly quiet. Is something wrong?”


    “No,” I said almost too quickly. “I was just thinking about something but you don’t have to worry about it.


    Where are you taking me?”


    I knew he noticed the change of subject but to his credit, he didn’t push or delve on the past topic, he


    embraced the change. “Why tell you when I could just show you


    “You do realize that you are leading me into the woods and it would bepletely normal for me to


    assume that


    you


    wanted to kill me.”


    He stopped, turned to me and burst outughing. “Did we trade your memories for a sense of humor?”


    “It would seem so.”


    “I don’t know about you but I think it’s a fair trade,” he winked and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes


    yfully.


    “Just tell me where we are going already.”


    “if you were not so impatient, you would realize that we were already here.”


    Ryker pulled back some leaves and I was struck with one of the most beautiful sights in the world.


    There was a small waterfall that emptied itself into a clear stream. There were flowers littered all over


    the ce and a pic *table had been erected. There was something awfully familiar about it but I


    could not ce my finger on it. I


    turned to Ryker only to find him already staring at me with a mixture of anticipation and worry.


    “Do you like it?” he asked and I nodded.


    “It’s beautiful, although I feel a sense of déjà vuing on. Have I been here before?”


    “We had a thing here once with the family. My sister was here along with Damien. It was a while ago, I


    hoped it would spark some memories.”


    I gave him a sad smile. “Nothing, unfortunately, I just know it seems simr. I know that isn’t what you


    want to hear but-”


    “That is more than enough,” he cut me off before leading me over to the pic table. “I don’t know if it


    is your powers but you have always loved ces like this. You loved the nts, you loved the water,


    there was always just something, you know? I never really put two and two together.”


    “What about you?” I asked and he turned to me. “Do you like ces like this or did you only tolerate


    them because of me?”


    “I never minded anything if I am being honest. Seeing you happy has always been worth it so the


    answer would be yes, I liked them, but it was mainly because you liked them.”


    “That is such a non answer,” I mumbled trying and failing to hide my smile.


    Ryker was a good man, that much was certain. He was gentle and kind and he was the kind of man


    that anyone would kill to have. Every few I


    Conds, I would nce at him out of the corner of my eyes, he was handsome, only a fool would have


    been unable to see that and I was no fool. He was seated so close to me that I could smell his scent


    and it bordered on on


    whelming.


    “How about a swim?” I asked after a minute of trying and failing to ignore his scent that was all over my


    space. I didn’t wait for him to respond before I got to my feet and made my way to the edge of the


    water. “Do you think we can swim inside of it?”


    tha


    I knew I was acting weird but I also knew


    if I didn’t get away from that scent, I was going to end up doing something absolutely stupid. I wasn’t


    sure if he knew why I rose abruptly but he didn’t protest as he came to stand next to me.


    “We can but there are no swim clothes, Cami. Do you want to risk getting your entire dress wet? I


    know have powers over the water but even with that, you might drown”


    you


    I scoffed. “I can swim with my undergarments,” I offered and he hesitated for a second before finally


    nodding.


    He was stiff as he helped me undo the ropes on my dress. If I were a better person, I would have


    asked but I was so transfixed on his hands that were movie


    against my spine. He never touched my bare skin but just the heat from his body behind me was


    enough for every thought in


    every thought in my head to fly out.


    He helped me out of my dress and corset leaving me in just my undergarments. It was scandalous at


    best and he turned away to give me some privacy as he took off his clothes. I didn’t know what I was


    doing and I found


    Emergency calls onlyMus


    myself asking what the hell I had started but I didn’t have an answer for that.


    0045%? 11:08


    I got into the water trying to ignore the goose bumps that showed up on my skin or the way my nipples


    perked up from the cold. It could easily be hidden so it wasn’t much of a problem- or at least, it wasn’t


    until Ryker made his way over to the stream in nothing but his briefs and they were perked up for


    another reason entirely.


    “It’s cold,” I mumbled sounding almost stupid and he raised a brow at me. “Why don’t you swim all the


    way over there and I can stay here and we can.”


    Before I could form one more word, he made his way over to me and grabbed both my arms. He pulled


    me flush against him and I could have sworn that in that moment, I felt nothing- nothing but him, the


    feel of his skin against mine, his warm breath and in that moment, in the swirling cold water, I felt like I


    was on fire.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    “Cami,” he began and I bit down on my bottom lip.


    “Please don’t say my name like that,” I whispered and he had the audacity to look confused. “You’re


    here, and you’re touching me and you’re saying my name and I cannot think. I need to be able to-”


    He pulled my hair back out of my face and cupped both my cheeks. “Cami.”


    “Yes?”


    “Shut up,” he mumbled before kissing me.


    I stilled for a full minute and then it felt like fireworks had exploded all around me. it felt like everything


    was suddenly right in the world and despite knowing that I shouldn’t, despite knowing that it was


    incredibly stupid to do so, I kissed him back. One of his hands moved to my waist as he pulled me


    impossibly closer and I felt just how hard he was underneath the water. I couldn’t help but wonder if he


    could feel everything else as well.


    “You’re thinking too much,” he mumbled against my lips before biting down on my bottom lip and I


    released a soft moan.


    Everything was perfect, for one split second it was perfect and then I felt it. I pulled away from him and


    ran my hands through my hair in frustration. He reached out for me but I moved out of reach.


    “That shouldn’t have happened,” I whispered despite knowing how much it broke me to utter those


    words. “I’d like to go back now.”


    He looked confused but atst, he nodded. “Okay, we can leave now.”