"Wow, that Simon guy sounds like an asshole." Liv made a face as she glanced at me.

I snorted as I swam across the far side of the pond—as far away from Liv as I could possibly get. I couldn't go over there right now. She looked so...well, I honestly didn't know how to describe it. Her feet were dangling into the pond, my shirt still wrapped around her shoulders, her dark hair dripping down and making everything...wetter.

After splashing some water on my face, I asked, "Why? Because Whitley found him talking to her sister? I don't get what the big deal is."

Liv rolled her eyes. "They weren't just talking. They were alone."

I leaned against the opposite bank, the grasses tickling the back of my head. I wondered briefly if this pond was man-made with the way it's walls dropped down like a pool. Running a hand through my hair, I tried to think about ponds and history and anything that wasn't Olivia's eyes as they flicked over my bare chest. "So?" The word sounded strangled, and I hoped she didn't notice.

But all Olivia did was scoff. "Do you know nothing of history, Asher?"

"I know some things, yes."

Olivia shook her head and closed the book. She paused, staring at it for a moment. And when she lifted her gaze to mine again, there was something else dancing there. I didn't know what, but I was pretty sure it was the way I felt right now. Some sort of loss, some sort of hopefulness, and all at fucking once.

Liv's mouth drew into a thin line.

I frowned.

Maybe it was actually the loss of any hope at all.

"That's not even why I think he's an ass, though," Olivia said quietly.

I sighed, tilting my head to the side. "And why do you think the Simon bloke is an ass, Liv?"

She stared at me, eyes boring into me. "Because he kissed a girl and then pretended like it didn't happen. And ran away."

My stomach twisted a little. I raised my brows. "Are you trying to imply something, Liv?"

Her voice was soft when she said, "You know that I am. Come back over here, Ash."

Shaking my head, I muttered, "I can't."

For some reason, sadness leaked into her gaze. So I added, "Because I don't know what it is about today, but you're driving me crazy."

"I always drive you crazy," she murmured, her eyes downcast. "That's why you left."

She misunderstood, of course. But that wasn't what bothered me the most about what she'd just said. I shifted on my feet, the mixture of sand and rocks cutting into my heels. It was growing harder by the minute to stay put, to not go to her. "What are you talking about?"

Olivia wouldn't meet my eyes. "Well, that's why you walked out that night, isn't it?"

It didn't feel like there was enough air in my lungs for this conversation. "Liv, I walked away because you told me that you weren't happy and then screamed at me to leave." I remembered those words, the tone of her voice, the look on her face. It was still so painfully fresh in my mind. Didn't she remember, too?

"I thought..." She shook her head. "Nevermind."

Gritting my teeth, I insisted, "No, tell me."

"I didn't think you would actually leave!" Olivia flung her arms in the air, and the ancient journal went flying backward, landing in the grass with a soft thud. "Or I thought that you'd come back, I guess. I thought...I don't know. I thought maybe you'd try harder or something."

She muttered something under her breath then. I couldn't make it out, but I heard the word stupid at least twice. "But apparently I'm too much, too crazy or annoying or whatever for you to have wanted to come back," she finished.

I didn't know what to say to that, my mouth opening and closing with no words coming out. "Olivia...I had no idea," I finally managed. "I wanted to come back. I wanted to come back the minute I left, but I didn't think you'd want me. And by the time I returned the next day, you had already moved out."

She clutched her chest, her fingers wringing her dripping sundress. "You didn't think I'd want you?"

"No! You said—"

"God, Asher. You're so infuriatingly dense. Don't you get it? I always want you. I've just been waiting around to be wanted back."

Her words hung between us. They settled into me, twisting around my heart, seeping into my lungs, making it even harder to breathe.

When I'd finally absorbed the weight of what she'd said, I took a step forward. "I've never not wanted you, Liv," I said lowly.

"Prove it."

Her steely gaze didn't leave mine as I pushed off the bank of the pond and slowly made my way back across it. As I slowly made my way back to her.

I couldn't stay away. Not after the things that she'd said. Not after the things that I'd said.

"Olivia." My voice was this odd, breathy disaster. But I didn't care. I pushed my way through the glittering water, closing the distance between us. "Liv, how can I prove it?"

Her eyes closed briefly. "The fact that you don't know was always the problem."

She wasn't wrong. I didn't understand Olivia, barely ever had. And I still didn't know what she wanted as I reached her, my fingers digging into the earth on either side of her knees. I leaned in. Olivia's legs parted, instinctively opening to wrap around my middle as I stood in the shallow waters. I wasn't even sure if she knew what she was doing.

"Olivia," I whispered, tipping her chin up so she couldn't escape my eyes. I wasn't sure how many times I'd said her name in the past five minutes, but god, it felt good to breathe aloud. I usually forced her to stay in my mind, not letting thoughts of this woman reach the tip of my tongue.

Her lashes were wet, darkening her already deep eyes as they studied me. Her palm landed on my chest, and I ached from the gentle touch. Then her fingers raked down, and it wasn't gentle any longer. And I ached more.

"Asher."

Her pinkened lips barely moved, but my name somehow slipped between them. And even though I hadn't any idea what she wanted, I let myself do the only thing that felt right at that moment.

Kissing Olivia had always been a combination of sweet and raw that couldn't be replicated with any other woman. I'd tried. Once—after she moved out and left me. And I had instantly regretted it. No one was the same as Liv.

But now Liv was in my arms, and I was kissing her, my mouth settling over hers softly at first. Olivia's fingers slid up the side of my face before tangling into my hair.

And then her lips parted, her tongue flicking against mine, and I couldn't do soft anymore. Because she needed to know how much I wanted her. I was never good with words, but maybe I could make her feel it. I needed to make her feel it.

I pushed myself up onto the bank, and Olivia fell back into the grass as my body covered hers. Her legs were still wrapped around me, hugging me to her as I deepened our kiss. She sank into the earth, and my shirt fell off her shoulders. I smoothed my hands up her bare arms to where she was entwined in my hair. Circling my fingers around her wrist, I pulled her hands down, pinning them above her head.

Breaking from her lips, I looked through the wet strands of hair that dangled in front of my eyes so I could see Olivia, her dark hair like a halo around her sweet, porcelain face. She was breathtaking.

Her lips popped open in awe, her breathing heavy as she gazed up at me. And I just couldn't handle the pleading look in her eyes. So I bent my head to her ear and breathed, "I always want you, too."

My lips found Liv's skin again, trailing down her chin, her neck. I brushed my tongue along her collarbone, licking away the water that was dripping from me onto her. She arched her back as I reached the edge of her dress, and that was all the permission that I needed to nudge it away and kiss the swell of her breasts. Fuck, I was so lost in her.

"Asher," she gasped, wiggling beneath me. Her skin tasted beyond amazing as I dipped even lower. My own skin was tight, my body pulsing with the way I wanted this woman as I found her nipple through the sheer, white lace of her bra and covered it with my mouth.

I sucked on it, resisting the urge to rip the fabric away with my teeth. Olivia moaned, her fingertips digging into the back of my hand. But I held them fast, anchoring her to the grassy bed beneath us. And it was damn hard not to buck my hips against hers with the way she was moving under me.

God, the way she felt—against my body, against my tongue—was going to be the death of me.

I missed her.

"Asher," she groaned, saying my name again. All I wanted was those groans in my mouth. I released her hands and grabbed the side of her face instead, crushing my mouth to hers. I was rewarded as Olivia's arms immediately flew around me, pulling me close as she kissed me back with the most damning little noises.

Who knew how long it was like that, with us kissing and grinding into the earth, but eventually, Olivia's mouth slipped from mine. "I never really wanted you to leave, Ash," she muttered, and I closed my eyes—hating myself.

"Give me another chance, Olivia." The words fell out of my mouth without evening thinking about them. This woman drove me insane, but god did I love her. "I didn't want to leave either, Liv. Let me try harder. I want you. I swear I've never wanted anything more."

When I opened my eyes again, I saw there were tears in hers. They shimmered, the sun reflecting in them as she studied me, thinking. It was a golden gaze, but there was also darkness there. And it haunted me.

She pushed at my chest, and I fell to the side—almost in shock more than anything else.

Wiping at her tears, Olivia rolled away from me, getting to her feet. She shook her head as she began to reel backward. "No—no, I can't do this, Asher. I'm sorry. This was a mistake. Nothing has changed. You haven't changed."

But I had. At least in a small way. I'd learned my lesson about letting her walk away, about walking away myself, and she wasn't going to escape that easily.

By the time I tugged on my pants and threw on my wet shirt, Liv was already to the wooded path that led back to Rosecrest. I didn't bother with my shirt buttons, letting my top hang open as I called her name. I slipped into my shoes, swiping up the old journal she loved from the ground as I did. I called her name again. She didn't stop. Her head was down, her shoulders slumped as she walked in quick little steps. Water trailed behind her, that dress of hers sticking to her in a way that was honestly killing me.

I followed quietly, giving her some space. I could understand if she needed that, but Olivia was crazy if she thought this conversation was over.

She led me to the car, and I was suddenly grateful that I had the keys in my pants pockets so she couldn't simply drive away on me. Liv glanced over her shoulder. "Can you unlock it?"

"Why?" I was admittedly wary.

But Olivia waved a hand over her soaked clothes. "My suitcase, Ash."

I cleared my throat. "Right."

Finding my keys, I pressed the small button, my Audi beeping as it unlocked for her. She opened it, digging through her bags, and I stepped away, turning around with a deep breath to gaze up at Rosecrest. It loomed over me. The vines that covered it were messy and tangled and beautiful all at the same time.

Things between Olivia and I were that way, too.

When I spun back around, she was wearing a simple cotton dress and flats. I realized she must have left her heels by the pond, having padded barefoot through the woods. She continued to surprise me today.

Liv was tugging at something else, a determined little look on her face. A mass of rose-colored fabric came flying out of her bag. As she pulled it out and wrapped it around herself, I honestly couldn't tell if it was supposed to be some sort of scarf or a blanket, but it didn't matter. Olivia slammed the car shut and strolled away from me again, setting off towards the gardens once more. I followed.

She found a patch of sunlight and dropped into it, leaning against an old stone wall. Her face tipped up, her eyes scaling the weathered Manor house as she tugged her scarf-banket tighter around her. It was warm out, but she must have caught a chill from lying about in wet clothes.

I was a few paces from her yet, standing back. Watching. "Olivia..." I began, not even sure what I was going to say.

Liv didn't even look at me. Her eyes stayed focused on the house, and its vines, and its tumbling walls. "Don't. I can't do this with you, Asher. Not after—" She cut herself off. And then so quietly I barely heard, she mumbled, "Just leave me alone."

I shoved my hands in my pockets as I looked down at her. "I'm not leaving you."

When I waited for another moment, she didn't say anything. So I settled into the grass beside her. I desperately wanted to pull her close to me, but I was too afraid of her response. Didn't she feel it, though? Didn't she feel the way the air vibrated between us?

Not ten minutes ago, she'd been writhing beneath me. And now, everything that had been on fire was cold.

At least for her, anyway. I was still burning. And shit, it was a torture I hadn't been ready for.

But I couldn't do anything about it. So I opened up that goddamn diary, and I began to read. Because since I didn't know what to say, and I didn't know what she'd want to hear, I did the only thing that I thought she might like.

"July 1868. Lady Whitley Ash."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Olivia's head whip around. I felt her eyes on me.

I cleared my throat.

"Simon Pearce has utterly confused me, and I cannot say that I care for it. Perhaps I shall simply have to avoid the viscount for the rest of the summer."

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