Page 154 of The Outsider
It was unfathomable how much of a difference simple kindness could make, how it could change the course of a life. It was the reason I’d survived—the reason that everyone in the Valley survived. Kindness was the root of love, and created bonds that could not break, even when tested.
Whatever had happened to Asha in the Wasteland, she never found kindness…and it had broken her in a way that couldn’t be repaired. It didn’t excuse her actions, but it made me understand them. I’d been saved from the Wasteland and from myself; she had not, and by the time I’d found her again, it was too late. She’d never stopped thinking of herself as an outsider, never accepted her new place in this ever-changing world.
But I had. And someday, I’d forgive myself for not being able to save her.
I let out a long breath, trying to return to the present. The last couple days had been so joyful. I threw my legs over the side of bed just as the bedroom door opened and John appeared.
“Morning,” he said with a sweet smile. He held a plate of eggs and toast, and my stomach grumbled audibly, making him chuckle. “Brought you breakfast.”
He sat down on the bed next to me, handing me the plate. I gave him a quick kiss, then proceeded to demolish my food.
“You’re a saint,” I said between bites, and he laughed.
“Figured you’d be hungry after last night. And early this morning.”
A faint flush rose to my cheek, and he caressed it, grinning wolfishly. I finished eating, then set the plate aside and climbed onto his lap to kiss him properly.
“And late this morning?” I murmured, pushing him onto his back as I straddled him.
“Round three will have to wait,” John said, amused, looking up at me. “I’m taking you on our honeymoon today, remember?”
Truthfully, I’d nearly forgotten in the flurry of activity yesterday, but I beamed.
“Where are you taking me?”
“It wouldn’t be a surprise, then, would it?” John replied with a grin. “Pack your things, and bring something to swim in. We’ll be gone a few days.”
After packing supplies, we hiked for most of the morning to get out of the Valley. Thankfully, it was another beautiful day under the warm June sun. We walked arm-in-arm as much as we could over the rough terrain, chatting and enjoying one another’s company. With everything that’d happened in the last few months, it was nice to be alone together in the peace of the forest. It felt like our first days together, when we were getting to know each other for the first time.
“Still no clues on where we’re going?” I asked for the third time since we’d left. “Come on. You have to give me a hint.”
“No hints. And besides, it’s noon now—only a couple more hours till we’re there.”
I groaned, and John grinned.
“You’ve gone soft on me after these months at home, huh? Have you already forgotten what it’s like to walk all day?”
“Forgive me for not wanting to relive that joyous period of our lives,” I replied dryly. “I like being a homebody.”
His smile softened into something tender. “I like it, too. A lot easier to get through the day knowing that I get to come home to you.”
“You’re just trying to sweet-talk me so that I’ll forget that my honeymoon thus far has involved a six-hour hike.”
He chuckled. “Maybe.”
I backed up against a wide oak tree, pulling him with me. “You’ll have to make it up to me. Somehow.”
He caged me in, resting his hands against the bark on either side of my head.
“Is that right?” he said, his voice lower and huskier as he leaned in, his lips inches from mine. “Maybe I will.”
His lips brushed mine lightly, tempting me. I fisted my hands in the fabric of his shirt and pulled him in, slipping my tongue into his mouth. He groaned and pressed me hard against the tree, stroking histongue over mine and kissing me deeper. His knee pressed between my thighs, and his hands came up to hold my face. He kissed me until I was hot and breathless and eagerly rubbing myself against him, and then…it all suddenly stopped.
John backed away, a small, teasing smile on his handsome face.
“We’re making good time,” he said. “Let’s keep going.”
I shot him an outraged look. “You did that on purpose.”
