I watch her, the way the last of the sunlight catches the edge of her hair, turning it into a halo. How does she not see it? How does she not see the way she lights up everything around her?

"Maybe it's time someone was in your corner for once," I say, my voice low, but she hears it.

The moment feels too raw, too real. I need to break this tension before I do something reckless.

"Come with me," I say, nodding toward the front of the boat.

The boat rocks beneath us as I pull her closer, leading her to the bow. The sunset is fading behind us, casting the water in deep orange light, and I can't help but feel like the world is about to tilt on its axis.

"Do you trust me?" I ask, a smirk tugging at my lips.

She looks at me, half-smiling, half-nervous. "Do I have a choice?"

I step closer, my chest almost touching hers. "You always have a choice."

Her breath hitches, and that beautiful blush I love spreads across her cheeks—the one that appears whenever I'm too close. It drives me crazy, the way her body betrays how she feels before she even says a word.

"I trust you," she says.

"Good. Then hold onto me." My voice is rougher than I intend, laced with something I can't hide anymore.

She hesitates but still wraps her arms around my neck. Something inside me settles as my arms circle her waist like they belong there. If I could freeze a moment forever, it'd be this one—her body pressed against mine, her head tilted up just enough for me to see every inch of her face. Her lips parted, eyes locked on mine, trust radiating from her.

"Keep your eyes on me, Leni," I say, using her nickname like a tether.

Without giving her a chance to protest, I tip us both over the edge of the boat. We crash into the water, the cool shock of it wrapping around us as we plunge beneath the surface. For a second, everything is quiet—the world muted, the only thing I'm aware of is her body pressed against mine, clinging to me like I'm her lifeline. I know she's mine.

When we break the surface, she gasps, laughing through her shock.

"You're insane!" she yells, her arms still wrapped tightly around me.

"You say insane, I say fun.” I grin, holding her closer. She's still gripping me, her wet hair plastered to her face, water droplets sliding down her skin. It's like God himself took the time to carve her to perfection.

The way she's looking at me right now? I'm not sure I'll be able to keep myself in check much longer. My gaze keeps drifting to her lips, to the soft curve of her mouth, and the way her breath hitches when I run my hands down her back to hold her steady in the water.