Sealed with a Kiss ✔

Chapter Twenty Nine | Sealed with a Kiss

Dappled sunlight plays upon my closed eyelids. Even though I'm awake, I don't want to open my eyes just yet. I've had one of the best night's sleep in a while and I'm happy staying here with my cheek nestling against a warm cushion, the blankets feeling pleasantly cosy and a warm, strong arm comfortably draped over my waist. My eyes snap open as I realise that this arm does not belong to me.

It takes me a couple of moments to remember my bearings, the panic attack, Levi and I leaving the tents behind and sleeping here out in the open field. I then become aware of how my legs are entangled in his and my own hand is resting against his chest.

I peer at his face, trying to keep my breathing quiet so as not to wake him up. Levi is snoring gently, his lips slightly parted. I smile faintly at the way his coffee brown hair has stuck up in places. I shift ever so slightly, stuck between wanting to stay here, lying beside him and getting up before anyone notices we're not there. They might even already have.

But then Levi's eyes flicker open and he greets me with a sleepy, "Good morning, Bug."

My heart squeezes in my chest as I think again: I've just spent the night with Levi Parker. My cheeks flood a warm pink.

I sit up, running my fingers through my hair, trying to tame what I assume has become wild and messy bed hair. I can't quite look at him in the eye as I'm nodding fervently. "Good morning."

He stays lying amongst the blankets and the cushions as I get up, looking towards the clump of tents not too far away. I can see no one outside them. Relief sweeps over me as I realise I've avoided a whole morning of teasing from Oliver and probably everyone else. They're not awake yet.

"We should probably head back," I say, nodding towards the tents.

Levi stretches and folds his arms behind his head, looking perfectly content with no intent to move. He grins lazily up at me.

"So early?"

"Yes. They'll notice we've gone," I say, feeling my face warm further as I imagine just what Oliver would say.

Levi yawns and leisurely looks towards the sky, watching the clouds drift through the early morning sky. As always, he's as calm and reassured as ever, as if we've woken up beside each other dozen times before. My heart strings tug as I realise I would like just that. 

I kneel back onto the blankets, collecting all the cushions in my arms. Levi finally sits up, staring at me quietly for a few moments before tugging one of the blankets towards him to fold up.

"Are you feeling better?" His voice is soft and careful, not intrusive in any way.

I glance up from a polka dot printed pillow, smiling briefly. "Yeah. Thanks, by the way." I look away in embarrassment. "For coming with me, I mean. It was so late-"

"It's nothing," Levi interrupts, his mouth tilting up in a reassuring smile. "Really."

We gather up the rest of the pillows and blankets and get back to the others just in time. We've barely managed to put them away before Imogen leaves her tent. She looks around frantically, her eyes roaming the perimeters of the tents before they find me and she lets out a loud of relief.

"Ruby! I woke up and saw you weren't there, I thought maybe you'd gone back to the cottage or something," she says, running over to me.

"I just, I got up early," I say, shrugging as I grin back at her. Technically, I'm not really lying.

Soon Max wakes up too, which makes everyone except Luke and Oliver out of their tents who I know aren't morning people. When Imogen pokes her head into their tent and threatens that she's going to pack up the tent and chuck it into a nearby river with them in it they finally get out, mumbling curses and grumbly asking why they have to be up so early.