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I feel like one of those lovesick idiots you see in the movies. The ones that wake up before their girl does, only to stare lovingly at them until they finally grace them with the gift of their beautiful eyes landing on them—the first thing they see when they wake up each morning.

I’d definitely never envisioned this for myself, but I can’t say I don’t like it.

Waking up with Elise in my arms, and the knowledge that she feels the same way I do, is nothing short of liberating.

A warm, comforting feeling trickles through me, and my blood hums as my fingers trail through her silky roots, brushing the flyaways off of her forehead to avoid obscuring my view of her. She’s beautiful.

Elise is easily the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever known in my life, and it feels like a privilege to have her like this. To know that we’ve both lived through horrible and traumatic experiences, and we’re able to trust someone else completely in spite of them.

Her eyes begin to flutter, and when they open, landing on me, the edges of her lips curve into a smile that knocks the wind right out of my fucking lungs.

“Good morning, mi vida .”

“Morning,” she says, pressing a chaste kiss to my lips before rolling over, arching her neck to look at the clock on the nightstand. Her eyes widen, and she kicks off the covers, flying out of bed.

“Where are you running off to?” I ask, watching in amusement as she works to shove all of her items into her duffle bag.

“We have five minutes before we’re supposed to check out!” she shouts, and suddenly, I’m out of the bed, packing my own bag.

“I trust that your stay was enjoyable?” Mrs. Greene asks.

“It was wonderful, thank you so much,” I tell her, a knot twisting in my gut as I hand her the key. She takes it from me, nodding as she rounds the desk and makes her way up the stairs.

My eyes dart to Elise’s wide ones, her cheeks flushed.

I grab my wallet out, pulling out all of the bills I have and tucking it inside the cover of the book the woman had been reading. I tug on Elise’s elbow and drag her out of the doors just in time.

We know the exact moment she’s entered the room we’d been in. It’s not hard to tell from the shriek she releases.

We bolt out of the doors, laughing and gasping for air as we yank open the car doors and slide inside, thanking the driver as he pulls out of the driveway and heads toward the train station.

Elise peers over at me after a few long moments of silence. “I feel bad that we broke half of her furniture. That could’ve all been family heirlooms,” she whispers.

I shake my head. “They weren’t. I felt bad, too, and checked the furniture last night. Everything was from Cox & Cox.”

She blows out a breath, slumping further into her seat, and rests her cheek on my shoulder. “Thank fuck.”

I chuckle lightly, my hand finding hers as we near the railway.