Leah's POV
As I woke up, I couldn't find Finn anywhere around me.
I rubbed my eyes, put on some clothes, and walked out of the warehouse.
As the sun began its slow descent behind the distant mountains, the shimmering waters of the lake seemed to come alive with a brilliant golden light.
The ripples on the surface danced in a gentle, rhythmic motion, reflecting the vibrant hues of the surrounding flora.
The air was filled with the sweet fragrance of wildflowers and the soft rustling of leaves, carried on a gentle breeze that swept across the lake. Birds chirped and sang their melodic songs, filling the air with a symphony of nature.
In the distance, a lone sailboat glided across the water, its white sails billowing in the wind like the wings of a great bird.
The boat seemed to move with effortless grace, cutting a path through the water that left a trail of shimmering diamonds in its wake.
A man waved at me from the boat. I recognized that it was Darren.
He was wearing a bandage around his head.
"Hey, Leah!" He waved at me. "I've caught some fish in the lake! Do you feel hungry? Let's have a barbeque!"
As I was setting up a bonfire next to the lake, Darren collected some twigs.
I looked at him and asked, "Where's Jalin and Lucas?"
"They left for the Grand Ball as soon as Finn got out of the warehouse," Darren answered.
"Why didn't you go with them?" I asked.
Darren pointed his head and smirked, "I've got a situation here. And people "
"Don't you want to know what happened in the warehouse?" I frowned and flicked the fire with a stick in my hand.
The fire licked the air greedily.
Darren put the twigs on the ground and sat next to me. Then, he pulled out a military dagger from his belt and started to disembowel the fish.
He didn't say a word.
"I had sex with Finn. That's what happened in the warehouse," I said.
"And you don't look very happy about it," Darren said. His fingers were slender and powerful, pulling out the fish's guts before sticking them on the twigs.
"I don't know. I had been looking forward to having sex with a man that I really loved when I married Lucas. But we didn't get along in bed for obvious reasons. Now I finally found Finn, whom I'm really in love with. But it just didn't feel right." I shook my head and said.
Darren said, "Finn is deeply troubled right now. I don't think a man who can't remember his last name will ever be able to enjoy having sex with another woman."
"Am I being too pushy or demanding?" I asked. "Or do I look too bossy in front of Finn? Why was he so afraid of me?"
Darren passed a fish skewer to me and said, "The problem is not on your side, Leah."
"You're my friend. So, of course, you say things like that to comfort me," I sighed.
"Yeah. It's really hard for me to be objective over this issue because I really can't possibly think of any flaws in you. You're perfect, Leah, in every way," Darren said.
"No one is perfect, but thank you for your kind words," I said. "You're always so sweet and affirming."
Darren shrugged, "If you had accepted my offer on the first day we met, I'm sure you would have been more than satisfied right now."
I turned crimson. Darren offered to sleep with me as soon as he saw me for the first time at the Derby Party.
"Why are you here with me, Darren?" I flickered the fire again and asked. The fish was sizzling over the fire. The smell of fish was in the air.
"I'm here because I can't show up like this at the Grand Ball..."
"No, Darren. You know what I mean. You show up every time when I need help. You're like my guardian angel or something..."
Darren stared at me and he didn't say anything.
I couldn't tell what was in his eyes.
The night was crisp, the air thick with the scent of smoke and the sound of crackling flames.
Darren's face was illuminated by the flickering orange and red hues.
The fire was a living thing, twisting and turning, dancing to the rhythm of the wind. Sparks flew high into the sky, like tiny fireflies seeking freedom from the flames. The logs groaned and snapped as the heat consumed them, sending embers spiraling up into the darkness.
"Leah, the only reason I'm with you is that you're my friend," Darren said.
His chiseled face looked flawless under the night sky.
"Darren, do you know something that you don't want to tell me?" I asked.
The night breeze was chilling. I was shivering.
Darren took off his coat and put it on me, adding more wood to the fire.
"I will never ever lie to you, Leah. So don't push me," he said.
"But you told me that I'm your friend. Should friends help each other? You've helped me so many times. If you're in trouble, I want to be there for you." I placed my hand on his arm and said.
"You've helped me, Leah. You've saved my brother and you've offered me a job. You're very generous and I really appreciate that." Darren held my hand and said in a deep, velvet voice. "Leah, no matter what happens in the future, please remember my words. I had a lot of choices, but I chose to be here with you."
Darren's POV
I sat across from Leah, gazing at her with an intensity that bordered on obsession.
My eyes traced the curves of my face, the contours of her lips, the subtle movements of her body as she spoke.
I was lost in her beauty, captured by the way the light played off her hair, the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed. Nothing else in the world mattered.
As I watched her, a warmth spread through my chest, a feeling I could only describe as love.
It was a love that consumed me, a love that made me feel alive.
A love that made me guilty.
Leah, the impossible lover of mine. I have a thousand reasons to leave you, but I only need one reason to stay.
For you, I will give up everything.
As I reached out to touch her hand, my fingers traced the lines of her palm.
She turned to me, and our eyes met.
"Darren, I..." she muttered. Her lips were slightly open as if she was asking me to kiss her.
I've kissed those lips before. I thought to myself. I was doing CPR on her, so technically speaking, it doesn't count.
I knew I would regret what I was about to do the next day, but to hell with it.
So, I leaned in, my lips hovering just inches from hers, and whispered, "Leah, I..."
Just before our lips met, Leah suddenly exclaimed, "Ah, it's on fire!"
I lowered my head and asked, "What?"
"The fish! It's burnt!" She chuckled and showed me the charred fish on the stick.
"Yes, it is. Toasted." I sighed silently.