His Miracle Mate

Chapter 17

"Orla."

"Hmm."

"Orla, wake up."

"Hmmm."

"Come on, sweetheart. I'ts getting cold for you."

I didn't want to open my eyes. I was so comfortable and warm, and the tingles running from my cheek to my jaw then my neck made me sigh in bless.

"Not cold," I mumbled, snuggling closer to the source of warmth. Mhm. Nice sleep...

"It's going to get colder soon, and you need to eat something."

I whined. My eyes fluttered open. I was sitting sideways in Ezra's lap. He cradled me to him with one of his strong arms. His other hand on my neck, his thumb stroking my cheek and jaw.

And when did this happen? The last thing I remembered was him telling me to sleep.

I felt like I'm forgetting something, though... Like he said something important. I just couldn't remember.

The woods bathed in the sunset's glow, the water shimmering like molten gold under the oranges and yellows of the sky.

"What time is it?" I mumbled.

He looked down at me with a soft smile, before dipping his head to kiss my forehead then my nose. "Almost six. You slept the whole afternoon."

"I must have been more tired than I thought," I mumbled. I gasped and sat up. "Oh my God! you missed your class!"

"It's okay," he said, pulling me back to him. "Don't worry about it."

I sighed and nodded against his chest. His very bare chest. Blood rushed to my face, and I was suddenly aware of our position. Oh, whatever. He was my soulmate. Cuddling was okay. More than okay.

"We should go," I whispered, halfheartedly. I was too comfortable to move.

"We should. The night is cold in the woods. Come on," he said, standing up with me in his arms. I wrapped my arm around his neck.

"I could definitely get used to this mode of transportation," I said as Ezra walked us away from the waterfall.

Ezra quirked his eyebrow, his lips tugged up in a half smile. "I would be all for it."

"Wait, what about our things?" I said, looking behind us.

"Jason already came and took everything earlier."

I put my head on his shoulder. The burble of the water faded. Our surroundings grew dim; the sunset couldn't permeate the thick trees.

"Orla," Ezra said after a few minutes of walking in silence. I still couldn't get over the way my name flowed out of his lips.

"Mhm?"

"There's something I think you should know. It happened the night of the bonfire, after we got you home."

I frowned. It was the night Sam had taken away from my memories. "Yeah?"

"You were very high; you ate those brownies, and at one point you started talking about something. I'm not sure what you meant, but you kept talking about how you killed someone."

I froze. Of course I'd go blabbering on about my darkest secret. Stupid, high Orla.

I let out a shaky breath and raised my head off Ezra's shoulder so I could look at him. His eyes were curious and careful. I opened my mouth and closed it a few times.

How could I tell my soulmate that I'd killed my own father?

"You don't have to talk about it," Ezra said. "I just thought you'd want to know that it happened. Haley and Sam were there, too."