Loyal Lies

I woke up to the sound of birds chirping and golden sunlight slipping through the curtains. I slowly opened my eyes and found myself in my bedroom. Had Silas carried me here after I dozed off in the living room? It had to be him. There was no one else in this house.

My body ached as I tried to sit up. Memories from last night flooded my mind. The way he held me, his whispered words, and our bodies moving together in perfect rhythm. I can't believe we finally crossed that threshold after all this time.

A soft knock at the door snapped me from my thoughts. Silas entered with his hair still damp from a shower, the scent of aftershave and soap following him. He's carrying a tray with breakfast. There's toast, scrambled eggs, and what smells like freshly brewed coffee.

"Breakfast in bed for the lovely lady," He said and placed the tray carefully on the nightstand.

He sat on the edge of the bed and picked up a fork. "May I?"

I felt heat creep up my neck. "I can feed myself." I pulled the quilt a little higher as if it could shield me from the memory of last night. "Did you eat already?"

Silas chuckled before setting the fork back down on the tray. "Just thought I'd offer," his eyes never leaving mine. "And yes, I had a quick bite in the kitchen while preparing this for you."

His fingers brushed a stray strand of hair from my cheek. His touch lingered and I can feel my heart beating quickly.

"How are you feeling?"

"Good. A little sore," I admitted then instantly regretted it. My face turned warm. "But… in a good way. If that makes sense."

The corner of his mouth quirked up. "It makes perfect sense

I reached for the coffee mug and wrapped my hands around its warmth. "Thank you," I murmured. "For this. And for… bringing me to bed last night."

"You fell asleep on my shoulder," he smiled. "You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake you."

A comfortable silence fell between us as I took a sip of coffee. It's exactly how I like it.

"About last night…" Silas broke the silence.

I looked up to meet his gaze.

"I hope you know this wasn't–" He exhaled as if searching for the right words. "I wouldn't have let myself hold you like that if it didn't mean something to me."

"It wasn't meaningless for me either."

He took my hand in his and ran his thumb across my knuckles. "I've wanted to tell you what you mean to me for so long. But I never knew how."

"And now?"

"Now I think we've moved beyond needing words," he leaned closer. "But I'll say them anyway."

I swallowed hard, waiting for him to continue.

"You are… everything, Aurora." The words were whispered, barely more than a breath, but they settled deep in my chest like a secret I had always known but never dared to name.

"You mean everything to me too," I uttered. The feelings I had tried so hard to push down, to question, to doubt, they had always been there. Just waiting for the right time.

A slow, breathtaking smile spread across his face. He leaned forward to press his forehead against mine. "I was hoping you'd say that."

I let my eyes close for a moment. I let myself savor the feeling of being loved like this. When I opened them again, Silas's gaze was still on me. It's filled with so much tenderness it almost hurt.

"Eat your breakfast before it gets cold," he pulled back slightly. "I made those eggs exactly how you like them."

I picked up a piece of toast. "You know, I could get used to this kind of service," I teased before taking a bite.

Silas laughed. "Don't get too comfortable. Tomorrow might be your turn to make breakfast."

"Fair enough. Though I should warn you, my cooking skills are a little questionable."

He shrugged. "I don't care. If we end up eating cereal every morning for the rest of our lives, so be it."

His casual mention of the future sent a pleasant shiver through me. It felt right, sitting here in the quiet light of morning and talking about things as if they belonged to us.

"Would you like to pick some fruit with me after breakfast?" Silas asked while watching me finished my meal. "The garden's at its best this time of year."

I raised an eyebrow. "There's a fruit garden too? I've only seen the flowers."

"There's a lot about this place you haven't discovered yet," he responded with a knowing smile. "Consider this your invitation to explore."

"In that case, I accept." I put my empty plate aside. "Give me a few minutes to shower and change?"

Silas nodded and collected the breakfast tray. "Take your time. I'll be waiting on the back porch."

After a quick shower, I throw on a light sundress and meet Silas outside. He's waiting with two woven baskets.

"This way," he offered me a basket before slipping his hand into mine.

The warmth of his touch sinking into my skin. We used to keep a careful distance, a professional wall between us. But now, that wall had crumbled and here we are, holding hands like it had always been meant to be this way.

I stopped in my tracked as we entered through a fenced area hidden inside the forest. It wasn't far from the house, just a short walk. Before me stretches an orchard that looks like something from a storybook. Sunlight filtered through the trees, turning the leaves a glowing green and casting golden halos over apples, oranges, and vines heavy with grapes.

"This is... incredible. I thought the hydrangea garden was the most beautiful part of this place, but this..."

There are apple trees with branches bending under the weight of their fruit, orange trees with bright spots of color among glossy green leaves, and avocados hanging like green teardrops. Beyond them, I can see grapevines and what looks like berry bushes stretching toward the distant tree line.

Silas chuckled beside me. I turned to find him watching me.

"What?" I suddenly felt self-conscious.

"Nothing. I just love seeing your face light up like that. You look like a kid on Christmas morning."

I didn't deny it. "I am excited! I've never seen anything like this before." I lift my basket eagerly. "Where do we start?"

Silas stepped closer and gently took my hand. "Well, there's a right way to harvest each type of fruit," he explained and led me toward the nearest tree. "For apples, you don't just pull them off. You lift and twist like this."

He demonstrated with a perfectly ripe apple, his movements careful but confident.

"The trick is to look for ones that come away easily," he continued and placed the apple in my basket. "If you have to tug too hard, it's not ready yet."

"Now you try," Silas gestured to a plump red apple hanging just at my eye level.

I reached up, cupping the fruit in my palm and attempting to copy his technique. My first try was too gentle and the apple stayed firmly attached to its branch.

"Like this," Silas stood behind me. He placed his hand over mine and guided my fingers. "Gentle pressure, then twist."

We finally freed the apple from its branch and I can't help but smile at our success.

"Got it!" I turned my head slightly to find his face unexpectedly close to mine. Neither of us moved for a moment.

We continued through the orchard. My basket gradually filling with apples, oranges, and a few perfectly ripe avocados. Silas taught me how each fruit has its own harvesting technique. Oranges need a quick snap, berries a gentle rolling between fingers, grapes a careful snip with small shears he brought out from his pocket.

"The berries are my favorite," he stated as we approached a patch of strawberry plants. "I'll make a jam tonight"

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" I teased before crouching down to examine the bright red berries nestled among green leaves.

After filling the bottom of my basket with strawberries, we moved toward the blueberry bushes growing along a gentle slope. I stepped carefully among the plants and tried to reach out for a particularly plump cluster.

"These look perfect–" My foot caught on an exposed root and suddenly I'm pitching forward.

Before I can fall, a strong hands caught me around the waist before pulling me back against a solid chest. Blueberries scatter across the ground but Silas's grip was firm.

"Got you." he murmured against my ear. I could feel his breath warm on my neck.

My heart hammered in my chest, partly from the near fall and partly from his closeness. His hands lingered at my waist as I slowly turned in his arms to face him.

"My hero," I teased. "Saving me from a tragic blueberry disaster."

He laughed but his grip didn't loosen. "Can't have you tumbling down hills on my watch."

The morning sun filters through the leaves above us, casting golden light across his face. I could spend forever memorizing every detail of it.

"I think I'm falling for you," I uttered the words before I can consider them. "And not just literally."

Silas's expression softened. He reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "Good," his gaze drifting to my lips. "Because I fell a long time ago."

He leaned down and pressed his lips gently against mine. Unlike our passionate exchanged from the night before, this kiss was tender, unhurried. It felt like a promise rather than a flame. I closed my eyes to savor the sweetness of the moment, the solidness of his arms around me, and the perfect rightness of being here with him.