Ruby Red

Chapter Twenty-Three

Karis slid closer to her, but they still didn't touch. He wanted to show her that he was there, but he was also giving her the space she needed. "But that might not happen," he mentioned. "Remember what Lévian said? Depending on what Fallon and Harsha told her, everything could go back to normal."

She moved closer, too. Now there were only mere inches between them. "I know that's what you want, and I want it too, but what if something happens and... and maybe I do something stupid like this again without thinking." Alana put her hand down on the grass beside his, their fingertips barely grazing. "What if I hurt you again?"

"You're not going to do that. And if you do, we'll get through it together. Just like we did this time, and just like we will any other time."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm not giving up on you. You could stab me a million times and I would still be by your side. And because I'm not giving up on you, I'm not going to let you give up on yourself. I know you, Alana, and I know that you care so much about other people, probably more than you're willing to admit. You analyze everything you do and you try to fix it when things are wrong. You're dedicated and ambitious and talented and crazy and stubborn and smart and beautiful. There's not a single part of you that I don't love or one I would give up." A corner of his mouth turned up in a smile. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

Alana stared at him. Karis's eyes were soft and genuine. He truly meant every word he said. She closed the gap between them, leaning into his side and resting her head on his shoulder.

Karis seemed surprised at the sudden display of affection. He took the corner of the cloak he was wearing and draped it around her shoulders, then wrapped his arm around her back. His hand rested on her forearm, and he decided to move his fingers up and down in gentle, repetitive lines.

It was at this moment that Alana realized she didn't know what she would do without Karis. If it weren't for him, she would probably still be in that manor, cold and afraid, or worse. He was the one who held her hand when she was getting stitches, the one who she wished she could dance with at a ball without being a distraction to a heist. The one who came to look for her when she was panicking and couldn't sleep. It was Karis. It was always Karis.

She glanced up. Karis was content facing the Ponsillar Sea. His eyes were closed, and his breathing had fallen in sync with the rhythm of the waves hitting the rocks below. He was like an angel, so full of peace and light and warmth. Alana's heart thrummed against her chest so hard she was shocked Karis couldn't hear it. She turned her attention back onto the water and the wind whipping through the grass so she didn't have to see his face when she said it:

"I think I love you."

Alana didn't know where the words came from. They had taken a direct route from her heart to her mouth and failed to stop at her brain. She didn't think about them, she just said them.

When Karis didn't respond, she felt the urge to fill the silence. After a moment, she continued to dig herself into a deeper hole by saying, "It feels right to say those words. I think I've loved you for a long time, but I don't think I've fully come to terms with it and realized it until now. I love you, Karis Griffin."

He still didn't respond. This time, Alana glanced up at him. The biggest grin she had seen Karis have in a while shone back at her. It made his eyes dazzle in the moonlight as they roved across every plane of her face, lingering on her lips for a second longer. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to say the same thing," he whispered. No one else was around, but he wanted to be sure it was just Alana that heard.

His eyes locked onto hers, brown meeting green in a collision that rivaled the earth in spring. "I think part of the reason I was so upset when you left is because I didn't get a chance to tell you. We were so wrapped up in our separate lives we didn't see how much they intertwined."

She tilted her head up and smirked. "What did you want to tell me?"

Karis snickered and nudged her lightly, still wary of her injuries. "You know what it is."

"I want to hear you say it."

"Fine." He rolled his eyes playfully and brought one hand up to her cheek. "I love you, Alana Campbell. I love you."

"Hmm." She let her eyes flicker down to Karis's lips, but she waited for him to acknowledge her before she made a move.

Karis did the same. "May I?" Alana smiled, then nodded. Her eyes fluttered closed as she leaned in to meet him halfway, her lashes like the dark wings of butterflies whispering against her cheek. Karis's heart swelled with warmth as he closed the gap between them.

Kissing Alana felt like Karis had finally found a part of his soul that he didn't realize was missing until now. Her fire met his ice, a perfect balance of passion and feelings. His hand went from her cheek to resting on her neck, his fingers running through the soft tresses of her hair. Her body was warm against him, and her lips were soft between his, just like he had dreamed they would be. She was everything he dreamed she would be and more.

Alana pulled away first, her cheeks flushed. She pressed her forehead into his, her eyes still closed. She let out a breathy laugh, and soon, Karis joined in with her. Alana was smiling again, and he realized that he was never going to get tired of seeing her smile.

When she looked up at him, it didn't matter that there were clouds obscuring the night sky. The light of a thousand stars was trapped in her eyes, shimmering like diamonds in a sea of the softest grass on the planet. There was nowhere else Karis would rather be right now than lost and drowning in her eyes.

She put her head back on his shoulder again and nuzzled further into the circle of his arm. Her face split into a yawn and Alana sighed. Karis pulled her even closer to him. "You're getting tired, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not. I want to stay out here all night. Just the two of us."

"Well, that yawn says otherwise." Karis peeled Alana off of him and stood up. She grumbled, but took his hand for him to pull her up when he offered it. "Let's head back to the castle. You need to get some rest for your conversation with the queen tomorrow. Our spot is still going to be here when we come back."

Karis helped her with her crutches and made sure she was all right getting onto her horse before he mounted his own. They rode back together in a comfortable silence, listening to the sounds of the peaceful night surrounding them.

Once their horses were tacked up, Karis went over to walk with Alana back to the guards' dorms. As much as he wanted to hold her hand, Alana was much too worried about her crutches, so he had to settle for walking at her side. Things were different between them now, but it was a good kind of different.

They paused in the middle of the common room before splitting up to go to their separate dorms. "You'll come with me when I go see Queen Marjorie, right?" Alana asked, leaning forward on her crutches.

He brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "If you want me to."

"I do, but if you have something else you need to do—"

"Alana. If you say you want me to come, I'll come. There's no shame in asking for a companion or some help, okay? I'll be by your side through it all."

She thought about what he said for a second. "Okay." A faint pink blush dusted Alana's pale face and she bit her lip. "Goodnight, Karis."

"Goodnight, darling."