[1] Little Miss Luna. | ✔️

1.20

But Sophie knew Cortez was right. They may have been mates all this time but things had never gone smoothly. Yet, anyways. And besides, she didn't know much about this mate bond stuff. She was sure there would be a million more things that would catch her off guard and baffle her. They were only at the beginning stages of their relationship.

"Is there a chance we'll ever stop loving each other?" Sophie asked.

"Impossible." Cortez answered conclusively. "There is a myth that mates can formally reject each other and live separate lives but it's just that, a myth."

"But they still try it?"

Cortez nodded. "I've never witnessed a rejector and rejectee but I've heard stories. It's easy in the beginning, like when I had to say goodbye to you and wait to see you until you called. But it gets harder and harder to stay away until it's physically painful and then either destroys you or drives you to your mate again."

Sophie's thoughts never stopped running and running with every new story and fact he revealed to her.

"Have I ever caused you physical pain?" To her surprise, Cortez smirked and averted his eyes away from her. Sophie's eyebrows furrowed again as she curiously scooted closer. "What? Why are you smiling?"

Cortez took a moment to eye Sophie before he caresses her cheek and planted a kiss on her lips. Sophie's eyes fluttered shut as she enjoyed the soft feeling of his lips move over hers so delicately. It felt like he was cherishing her and that was an odd sensation to process. They hadn't gotten that far yet, but already, she felt like she was being slowly stripped of all her clothes until she became undone and bare before him. Something as simple as a loving kiss did that to her.

"Every time I've turned away from you, it hurt. Trying to stay away from you is a nightmare. When you turn me on and send me home, it's torture to touch where I wish you would." Cortez shamelessly and casually admitted.

Sophie's emerald eyes appeared past her eyelids as she nervously bit down on her bottom lip. She hadn't imagined he'd confess something like that to her. It made her heart race and her body get all anxious. Staring him in his pitch black eyes easily grew unbearable. Her intense embarrassment caused her to hide her face against his shoulder. Cortez found her embarrassment endearing. She was so innocent.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to hurt you." Sophie muttered.

Cortez cupped Sophie's face in one hand and lifted her head to meet his stare again. "I don't like when you apologize to me. You've..."

"Done nothing wrong." Sophie finished.

"You know but you still apologize for useless things."

"You apologize despite knowing I'll forgive you."

Cortez shook his head and retracted his hand. His hard scowl landed on the fields in front of Sophie's house again as he massaged her knee. "You shouldn't accept my apologies. Every time I've apologized, it's because I've failed a promise I've made to you. You've never failed me."

"It's too late. I've already forgiven you. Suck it up."

Cortez turned to Sophie in slight shock, although, the attitude in her voice sounded familiar. She used that mad tone when she had teasingly called him grandpa. And that playful smirk on her face was the same as well. Cortez couldn't help but smile and stare fondly at his beautiful mate.

Sophie's smile was bright, warm, filled with joy. He loved admiring it. It felt almost as if all the joy he could possibly feel was hidden within Sophie and he was addicted to every little bit of happiness that leaked out of her. She was contagious and he was sick with bliss. It all sounded very cheesy but none of it was false. She was a drug and he was an addict. The cheesiest, most accurate line in the book.