Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 113699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 568(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 568(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
Because that’s love.
Real love.
The kind worth counting on.
I step inside, letting the door close behind me, letting anticipation build in my veins. Whatever Lee has planned, whatever game he wants to play, whatever path he’s leading me down …
I trust him.
I choose him.
I love him.
And that’s worth walking into darkness for.
“Follow my voice,” Lee calls from somewhere to my left, his tone playful but gentle. “Unless you’re scared?”
The challenge in his voice makes me smile behind the blindfold. He knows I’m not scared—not of him, not anymore. Not since we learned to trust each other’s patterns and chaos in equal measure.
“You’ll have to do better than that,” I tease back, moving toward his voice. The floor is clean beneath my feet—he really did think of everything. “I know all your tricks by now.”
His laughter echoes through the house, bouncing off walls in ways that make it hard to track. But I know this game he’s playing. Know he’s leading me on a specific path. Know every step has been planned and counted and prepared.
“Do you?” His voice comes from a different direction now, somehow both farther and closer. “Know all my tricks? Because I think …” He pauses, and I hear movement above me. “I think I still have a few surprises left.”
Heat pools in my belly at his tone—that perfect mix of playful and dangerous that only Lee can manage. My other senses heighten behind the blindfold, catching subtle sounds: his careful footsteps, his measured breathing, his deliberate movements through the house.
“You’re overthinking,” he calls out, closer now. So close I can almost feel his presence. “Stop counting steps and just … feel.”
He’s right. I’m falling into old patterns, trying to measure and map and control. But that’s not what this game is about. Not what he’s trying to show me.
“That’s it,” he murmurs as I relax, letting instinct guide me. “Trust yourself. Trust me. Trust us.”
The word “us” still sends shivers down my spine. Still feels like a miracle and destiny and choice all wrapped into one. Still makes me want to count my blessings instead of my fears.
His footsteps retreat again, leading me on this careful chase through darkness. But it’s not really darkness anymore. Not with him here. Not with love lighting the way.
“Getting warmer,” he teases as I follow, letting my fingers trail along clean walls. “Or should I say … getting closer to where everything began?”
The pantry. Of course. Where else would this path lead? Where else would Lee bring me for whatever he has planned?
My heart races, but not from anxiety or fear. From anticipation. From trust. From love.
Because whatever waits in that pantry, whatever game Lee’s playing, whatever path he’s leading me down … I’m ready for it.
His footsteps quicken, and I follow the sound, almost catching him around what feels like the main staircase. My hand brushes fabric—his shirt maybe—but he dances away with a low laugh that sends heat coursing through my veins.
“Almost,” he teases, voice rough with something more than playfulness. “But not quite fast enough, baby. Come find me.”
I know these halls now, even blindfolded. Know the path to our pantry like I know my own heartbeat. Know Lee’s leading me there with deliberate precision, each step calculated to build anticipation.
“You’re doing that thing again,” he calls, voice echoing slightly. “That thing where you try to make patterns out of chaos. Where you try to predict instead of just feeling.” A pause, then he’s closer. “Stop thinking so hard and just chase me.”
He’s right. Again. Always. Even blindfolded, even in darkness, even playing this game of cat and mouse, I’m trying to control everything. Trying to map his movements. Trying to calculate instead of feel.
“That’s not what tonight’s about,” he murmurs, suddenly right behind me. His breath ghosts across my neck, making me shiver. “Tonight’s about trust. About letting go. About …”
He doesn’t finish, pulling away before I can turn toward his voice. But I hear what he doesn’t say. Tonight’s about us. About how far we’ve come. About everything we’ve built together.
My fingers trail along the wall, recognizing the texture of expensive wallpaper. We’re close now. Close to the pantry where everything began. Close to whatever Lee has planned. Close to …
“Remember that night?” His voice carries memories of our first meeting. “You hiding from chaos, me hiding from everything …”
The words hit like truth, like love, like everything real we’ve built together. Because we do choose each other. Every day. Every moment. Every step toward whatever waits in that pantry.
“Almost there.” I can almost hear the smile in his voice. “Almost where everything changed. Where everything began. Where everything …”
He trails off again, but I understand because I feel it, too. The significance of this place. The weight of this moment. The love building between us with every step of this careful chase.