Page 107 of Rapunzel Is Losing It

“Oh. No, stop. You didn’t ruin anything.” I lifted my hands from her legs to her cheeks, just in time for my thumb to catch a tear. She couldn’t actually believe all of that, could she? “I love spending time with you, zhizn’ moya. It’s incredibly easy, actually. I will happily let you ignore me, so you can take care of hundreds of fish for hours on end. I got these fish because I knew they’d make you happy.”

“But I-” She hiccuped as her throat closed up.

Fuck. Cordelia crying like this was a whole new pain. I’d seen her cry before, but not because of me. Nothing like this. Her brows were quivering and her breaths were barely making it to her lungs, and no sound came across her lips.

“I didn’t pull you out of the pond because I thought you were being too self-centered.”

“I told you to leave me alone. On our date.” She reached for her hair, realizing too late that her hands were still bundled up.

“So? I know that had nothing to do with me. I can read you, Cordelia. For six years, I’ve spent almost every minute of every day getting to know you.” I peeled her fingers from the sleeves, and I picked up a strand of her hair to wrap around her index finger. Because I did know her. Her shoulders immediately eased a little as she started winding the hair through her fingers. “Which means I put food in front of you, and I buy your tampons, and I pull you out of freezing ponds. Because you’re not even self-centered enough to monitor your own bodily functions.”

She blinked at me, eyes still glassy. “My heart is beating really fast. That’s a bodily function.”

“Just try to take some deep breaths.”

“No, that’s not it.” She shook her head. “You make my heart beat really fast, Victor. I love you so much, sometimes it feels like my heart can’t keep up with it. I don’t know what I did to deserve you in my life.”

“Don’t worry. That feeling’s mutual.” I leaned in for a kiss, but she sucked in a deep trembling breath before our lips could touch. “Do you want to release the fish first?”

“I do,” she whispered.

“Okay, give me a second.”

I scooted back and took my shoes and socks off, before dragging the picnic blanket - and Cordelia with it - to the edge of the water. I got in myself this time, gathering all the plastic bags in front of Cordelia.

“Thank you.” She untied the knot on the first bag. She was swallowed whole by my jacket, her hair had dropped to the mud, and her face was still flushed from crying - but in the faint purple evening light, she was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Her eyes flicked up, sensing my stare. “You have to get one, too.”

“Okay.” It took me a second to drag my gaze away. Then I followed her example and waited for the signal.

“3, 2, 1.” She tipped the plastic bag and released her fish, and I was too busy watching a big smile replace all the tears and pain from before to remember my own fish until she yelled, “Victor!”

“On it.”

My fish scurried from the plastic bag and into the depth of the pond.

I was better at keeping up with her pace for the next few fish, until all of them were exploring their new home.

“You can kiss me now,” Cordelia said as I stepped out of the pond, legs of my pants soaked, incapable of feeling my toes.

“Oh, can I?”

“I’ll allow it.” She grinned and fluttered her lashes at me in that silly way she did that punched me right in the chest every time.

“Let’s get you inside to warm up first.”

“You have to carry me back anyway,” she grinned smugly while putting her socks back on, “you might as well carry me kissingly.”

“Alright, come here.” I waited for her to push herself up - only to scoop low. I threw her over one shoulder, and she screeched. Her arms flailed through the air for a hold, but I had my hands already wrapped around her waist and her thigh, keeping her safe and steady.

“Victor,” she gasped, finally stilling when I took a few steps.

“Kissingly, huh?” Her ass was right next to my face, and that tiny skirt didn’t do much to conceal anything anymore. I had to. Giving her exactly two seconds to protest my question, I laid my lips to her cool skin.

The tension spluttered from her body. It would have been hilarious how limp she fell if it hadn’t been for her thighs jerking and pressing together. That told me exactly where her mind had gone.

I kissed the undercurve of her ass again. Her breath hitched and her muscles twitched.

Fuck me.