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I admitted that it was a skimpy outfit for a gardening session, but it made me feel good in my body for the first time in months. The crop top showed off my bulging arms and emphasised my slim waist. Kicking all the processed food from my diet and destroying myself at the gym had come with an added bonus: I’d bulked up like crazy. I’d sized up on the shorts, but they wereonly justlong enough to still be considered somewhat decent.

Twenty-five

Jules

IgapedatNikolaiasif I had never seen him before.

I hadn’t. Not like this.

“I’m ready to dig in the earth. I’m a little scared of the worms, but thankfully, I’ve got you to protect me.”

He put his hands on his hips, head cocked. I was tempted to do something recklessly stupid.

Nikolai wore tight shorts. On a smaller man they might have reached the top of the knee but on him they barely covered half of his thick thighs. He had paired it with a short top that ended at the bottom of his rib cage, exposing his midriff and heavily corded arms. A yellow and blue mountain lion head sat on his chest.

When he whipped off his hat that read ‘RAWR’ in yellow on blue, I noticed for the first time how much his hair had grown in the weeks since I met him.

Nikolai extracted a blue hair tie from his pocket and used it to pile the longer strands into a high bun on top of his head.

“Ready when you are. I found this in our merch shop. A bit much?” He’d noticed me staring and pulled his top down, trying and failing to get it to cover more of his body.

“No. I like it.”

Too much, in fact.

“Yeah?”

“You look very nice, Bunny.”

Edible.

His lips pursed.

“Thank you, Jules. You look very nice, too.”

I wore trousers made from handwoven fabric and a matching loose-fitting tunic. My forest provided almost everything I needed—nettles to make fabric, animals, roots, and fruits to feed me and Barnabas— and a feeling of freedom. We kept each other alive.

“Thank you.” My cheeks warmed. “Do you want to get started? I spent the last couple of days building a new garden bed for you.”

“Seriously, Jules?” Nikolai’s lips stretched into a smile that warmed my heart.

“Yes.” I led the way over to the high bed I’d made from pinewood. “I thought you might like to have your own bed in my garden.”

What are you saying?!

Bunny’s smile turned radiant.

“I love that. Thank you. But you’ll help me plant it, right? I don’t want to mess up.”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t mess anything up, Nikolai. But if you want me to, I will help you. Of course I will.”

I might even charm the seedlings and make them grow faster for you.

“Thank you, Jules.” He reached out and squeezed my forearm. “Tell me what to do.”

“First of all, don’t be scared of the critters. They will not hurt you.”

His laugh made me feel so alive I very nearly cried with joy.