Rao wished he could pull her into his arms and kiss her passionately, but, covered in blood and sweat as he was, the best he could do was a gentle peck on her forehead.
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
LEXI
She was a little spun when they finally arrived at their date spot. Her mind was still back at Grayspire, watching the brothers fight. She kept seeing them jump at each other only to finally fall apart and understand that they were just hurting each other in the end.
Rao cleared his throat, pulling her back to reality. She took in a dock on a river and a yacht just a few feet away. He was making their final date on a yacht.
He blushed slightly as she turned toward him. "I figured we could relax a little, and it would just be traveling down the river."
She stared at the massive boat. This was their fourth and final date. She'd been through so much in their time together, and she wasn't sure she was ready to step away.
They had been on several magical dates and shared many laughs. She felt they clicked well together. She was enjoying herself more than she thought she would.
"You okay?" he asked, offering her a hand onto the boat. "We don't have to do this if you're not ready."
She gave him a smile shaking her head. He was always so considerate. "I want to." Lexi thought about what Gerri said. "This will be fun."
She was still thinking about the brothers finally getting along and getting over their anger toward each other. She couldn't get the image of them moving past everything. She wondered if she would be able to do that. Would she be able to move past her own problems and finally be happy?
Rao was certainly a different person than she thought, and she wasn't sure she was ready for everything to end. She wasn't sure if she wanted to stay either.
But she also couldn't let her emotions get in the way of the moment. So, she took a deep breath and stepped onto the boat. She would put that aside and enjoy herself.
Rao had decided it was just going to be the two of them tonight. No help, just them on a boat enjoying the view of Nova Aurora together. He figured the fewer bodies, the more alone time they could have.
He drove the boat, and she sat, taking in the wind as it hit her face, pulling her hair back. She liked the solitude for the time they had. She liked being away from everyone and that it was just them.
Rao stopped the boat a distance away from where they boarded and took a seat next to her. They both sighed, taking everything in. They had been through a lot in the month she'd been here.
He pulled her close into his arms, and they just swayed with the boat. She listened to the sound of the water slapping against the sides and his gentle breath on her skin. She felt safe in his arms.
"I have the dinner set up inside when you're ready to eat," he said, breaking the silence.
She smiled. "I can't believe you want us to dine on a boat."
He laughed. "There is nothing wrong with that. Besides, I have another surprise." He pointed up at the sky. She waited for something to happen, but nothing did. Rao looked around, confused after a moment.
They fell quiet while he stared up, and then he sighed, almost annoyed. "Fireworks at one point, but it appears they aren't starting them."
She couldn't help but snort. Of course, the fireworks would be late. First, she ruins them on their first date, and now they aren't set off at the right time on their last date. How ironic.
She placed her hand on his, giving him a chuckle. "Not everything has to be perfect. That isn't life. You'll drive yourself crazy if you try."
He gave her a soft smile in return. "I suppose that's true. I guess I'll open a bottle of wine in the spare time, and we can eat until they start."
He pushed himself up and headed back into the front of the boat. She looked up at the sky, taking the purple of the forest and the bright pink sea. It still stunned her to see how different the world of Nova Aurora was. Everything felt the opposite of how it should be.
A sudden large boom erupted, snapping her gaze up higher. The sky was filled with light, and bright colors boomed. She couldn't help but smirk. They started the fireworks.
"Damn it," Rao muttered as he stepped out, holding the bottle of wine. "Honestly, worst timing ever."
She started to laugh, pulling him back into her arms. They sat cuddling, watching the fireworks all go off. The sky was scattered with different hues of colors. She could almost say it was better than on Earth.
She smiled, taking in everything and feeling like this was a perfect, not correctly planned date. This was the type of date she would want, something with flaws.
The realization that this was their last date was starting to sink in. This was the last time they would do this. Unless she decided to stay. Did she want to stay?