She is beautiful. Never in my life have I seen a woman so gorgeous. I stare at her like I'm in a trance. I must be, because it's impossible to look away. Her red lips. Her soft closed eyes. He long blonde hair. Her hips. Her hands in the red sparkly...
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Sunlight stretches through the window, casting a soft glow across the room. I blink, squinting as the light hits me right in the face. Slowly, the warmth of the morning seeps into my awareness, and I feel the weight of someone on top of me. Ashley's lying against my chest, her gentle breathing the only sound in the quiet room. Memories from last night flood back all at once—us laughing, soaked to the skin, dancing in the rain like no one was watching. Her wet hair clinging to her face, those blue eyes looking up at me, bright and alive even under the rain. I feel my cheeks heat up just thinking about it. She's wearing my shirt, which is way too big on her, draping down to her knees, making her look somehow even cuter. I didn't know it was possible to fall for her any more than I already had, but here I am, wondering how I'd ever managed to live without her.
My arms are still wrapped around her, just like last night. Her breathing is soft, peaceful, her blonde hair swept to the side, a few strands falling gracefully over her shoulder. Her cheek is smushed against my chest, and the warmth of her skin and the weight of her presence feel like heaven itself. I don't believe in some mystical paradise, but with her, I do. She's my heaven, and every second without her is hell.
A faint murmur escapes her lips as she stirs, moving her head to the other side. Her eyelashes flutter as she begins to wake up, and I can't help the smile spreading across my face. I press a soft kiss to her forehead, murmuring, "It's okay. You can sleep a little more." She responds by snuggling closer, her arms wrapping even tighter around my torso, and I'm secretly relieved she can't see the blush forming on my face.
After a moment, she lifts her head, blinking up at me, her face still framed by strands of sleep-tousled hair. She looks even more tired than she did last night, her eyelids heavy as she blinks a few times, yawning before laying her head back on my chest. Usually, she'd pull away as soon as she wakes up, slipping out of my arms with a shy smile. But today, she lets herself stay close, and for the first time, I see how much of an effect I have on her. It's not just one-sided. Maybe, just maybe, she could feel as strongly for me as I feel for her.
A pang of bittersweet longing hits me. I'd give anything to stay like this forever, but the thought of leaving for the frontlines of the Dark War looms over me. Only now do I realize how much I have to lose. Soon, I'll be forced to leave her for months, maybe longer. The thought crosses my mind that I might never see her again, that I might die in some distant field, my body left to the cold. I wonder how she'd react if that happened. Would she cry? Would she miss me? Would she even notice I was gone? Or would she be relieved to finally be free from the trouble I cause her? But then, what if I survived? Would she be here waiting, or would she have moved on?
I push those thoughts away, focusing instead on the steady rhythm of her breathing, her warmth against me. I have to fight this war so that she doesn't have to. If there's anyone worth fighting for, it's her. I don't know what I'd do if I lost her—my angel, my heaven, the one piece of happiness I've found on this earth.
Just then, Ashley shifts, lifting her head to look at me, her chin resting on my chest as she blinks herself fully awake. "What are you thinking about?" she asks, her voice soft, her eyes still half-lidded with sleep.
