Is there a road back to the way we were?

Chapter 56

Heading into the nearest village the next morning, they had found a friendly local man who had given them recommendations of places to visit during their stay and so here they were at Ullswater Lake, waiting for their turn to get on the boat. The lake was a spectacular blue, the clean water shimmering in the sun, seeming almost magical, and stretched on beyond what they could see. The whole lake was surrounded by hills and trees, the vivid greens complementing the blue of the lake and sky. The weather was hot but not uncomfortable, the breeze providing cool relief.

Emmeryn was busy with her camera, taking photos of the picturesque view. Her hands were itching to grab her paintbrush and recreate the scene.

"Emmy, take a picture of me and Niko." Amell put his arms around his brother's shoulders and grinned at the camera. She took the photo and showed them, and upon gaining their approval, looked through the other photos she had taken.

Someone came behind her, looking over her shoulder at the photos. "Those look amazing," Onyx complimented.

His warm breath fanned her cheek and she briefly glanced at him, smiling. "I'll get better ones when we're on the lake."

"Hey lovebirds! We're getting on the boat now," Fawn called to them, waiting by the docks as everyone else got on.

They quickly made their way onto the boat and sat on the seats on the deck. Once everyone was on, the boat started its journey around the circumference of the huge lake, going at a steady pace so everyone could relax and enjoy the weather and view. Emmeryn took out her camera again, taking photos every so often when something caught her interest. There wasn't much chatter apart from when someone pointed out something they saw, everyone simply basking in the serene atmosphere and letting their worries fly away.

Emmeryn wasn't sure how much time passed, but they were almost halfway across the lake when some birds flew by and she quickly took a picture, their perfect v formation reflecting in the water below. Looking beside her, she noticed Onyx gazing at the view with awe, a distant look in his eyes and the sunlight highlighting all the angles of his face. His lips were curled in a small smile, his expression seeming as if he were remembering a nostalgic love from the past even though she knew that couldn't be the case, and his hair was blowing in the wind. She immediately took a photo, the camera shutter breaking Onyx out of whatever trance he was in and he turned to her, eyes twinkling as his smile became more amused and she took another photo before he could protest.

"What? Why do you keep taking pictures of me?" He blocked the camera with his hand, pushing it away from him and into her lap.

"You're more expressive when you think no one's looking. Plus look at these!" She thrust the camera into his hands, showing him the photos. "You seem like the perfect boyfriend. If I post these, everyone will fall for you."

"And that wouldn't bother you?" He raised his brow inquisitively.

"What?"

"If everyone is all over me. I'm your almost-boyfriend, right? Do you really want that?"

Almost-boyfriend. Why did that hurt? She frowned, her eyes becoming sad, and looked at the wooden deck. The only reason he wasn't her boyfriend was because she hadn't asked. Sure, Onyx joked about it a lot but never pressured her as he didn't want her to feel overwhelmed or like he was expecting things from her. She realised now just how patient he was with her, never pushing her to do things she wasn't comfortable with and always respecting her boundaries. Of course they bickered here and there as any friends or couples do but it was never serious and resolved as quickly as it had started.

"Emmeryn? Are you okay? Did I say something wrong?" He lifted her face to meet his, brushing her hair back from her face, his eyes soft and full of concern.