Chapter 89

Elara’s POV

I didn’t feel beautiful. Not today. Not with the way I’d been crying on and off, my emotions swinging so wildly I couldn’t keep them straight. But Lucas didn’t seem to care about any of that. His hands were on my waist, steady and warm, and his lips brushed the side of my neck like they were drawn there.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he said, his voice low and rough against my skin.

A breath caught in my throat, and I leaned into him without thinking, letting the words sink in even though I didn’t believe them. “I don’t feel beautiful,” I whispered, hating how small my voice sounded.

He didn’t miss a beat. “Doesn’t matter what you feel,” he said, his mouth finding my shoulder, kissing it like he had all the time in the world. “You are.”

I let my head fall back, my fingers clinging to his arms as his hands slid down to my hips, holding me in place. He pulled me closer, guiding me until I was straddling him, the water sloshing gently around us.