Ever After Awaits (Layla) novel Chapter 137

Chapter 137: Hunter POV

The lake glitters like polished glass beneath the midday sun, a thousand points of light dancing across its surface. It’s the kind of blue that belongs in postcards–too perfect to be real–and the sand beneath our feet is already warm enough to sting. Floaties are drifting lazily at the edges of the shallows, while a neon rope swing twists in the breeze near the shore–anchored dock, and everything smells like sunscreen and

summer.

I’ve just taken the sausages off the grill, and now we’re racing towards the water like kids who’ve never seen it before. AJ makes a flying leap and cannonballs in first, soaking all of us on impact. Cade isn’t far behind him, charging into the waves with a dramatic war cry. Xavier follows next, more composed but just as fast. I take a few long strides, then dive under and resurface just in time to hear Cade yell, ‘Operation: Kidnap Layla is a go!‘

She’s standing at the edge of the sand, her arms loosely crossed over her chest, with a near–empty water bottle in one hand. And that one–piece she’s wearing? It’s got all four of us scrambling to pretend we’re

not staring at her every chance we get.

She narrows her eyes at him and steps back once, then once more. “Don’t even think about it, Cade Reynolds,” she warns with no fire behind her words.

Cade advances towards her with a shit–eating grin. “You’re vastly outnumbered, ma’am.”

“If any of you come closer,” she warns again, flinging a handful of sand toward him, “I swear to God, you’ll be coughing up grit for a week.”

That only makes us move faster. AJ tries to flank her from the left, and Xavier from the right. I take the long route around, hoping to catch her by surprise.

She flings her water bottle at Cade in a feeble attempt to deter him, and it bounces harmlessly off his chest. Then she bolts, her feet kicking up wet sand as she dashes into the lake’s shallows.

We, obviously, give chase.

There are squeals, laughter, and copious amounts of splashing. In other words, complete and utter chaos.

She ducks underneath AJ’s outstretched arm, spins around, and soaks Cade with a wave, and then lets out a victorious cheer. Xavier reaches for her but slips on a patch of wet sand and lands hard with a dramatic

groan.

“Down goes the silent one!” AJ shouts before Cade tackles him, dragging them both underwater.

Meanwhile, I close the distance between her and me. She spots me too late, and I’m able to loop an arm gently around her waist, pulling her against me as we spin into the deeper water. She shrieks while laughing uncontrollably, her arms scrambling for balance until she’s pressed flush to my chest.

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Chapter 137: Hunter POV

“Traitor,” she gasps up at me, blinking water droplets from her lashes.

“You say that like you expected anything less,” I say with a smirk.

Her laughter is loud now–uncontrolled and full–and it vibrates through me, loosening something inside me I hadn’t realized had been clenched tight for days. Maybe even weeks.

We tread water for a minute, as we try to catch our breath, and the sounds of splashing and shouting around us fade slightly as I focus solely on her. She’s glowing. Not from the sun, but from joy. Pure, unfiltered joy.

God, we needed this.

About 30 minutes later, Layla’s floating on a small bubblegum–pink inflatable lounger, with her arms spread out, and her legs half–draped in the water. The floatie is drifting slowly near the rope swing, so I swim over casually, trailing my fingers along the surface, and bump into her like it’s an accident.

She lifts her head slightly and asks, “Really?”

“Oops,” I say, deadpan, which has her flicking water at me. I retaliate by grabbing the float and tipping her halfway off it.

“Hunter!” she gasps, laughing, as her legs splash wildly.

“Total accident,” I assure her as I guide her gently into the water where my hands settle at her waist, holding her there, not restraining her, just…steadying her against me.

“You’re too smug for someone who lost the splash war earlier,” I say.

She scoffs. “You let me win.”

“I would never,” I reply in mock outrage.

“You did,” she says while watching me intently. “You do it all the time.”

I pause, then smile softly. “I’m powerless against those eyes and that smile of yours.”

Her breath catches, and she goes still in my arms, so I ease closer, my voice softer now. “I missed your laugh. Even when I didn’t know I was missing it.”

Her hands, which were holding onto my biceps till now, drift up to my shoulders and then link around the back of my neck, while her legs lift and wrap themselves around my hips, all while my arms wrap and tighten around her waist. And for a moment, we just float there, suspended in sun–warmed silence.

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Chapter 137: Hunter POV

Dropping her head, she rests her cheek against my chest by my shoulder, and I instinctively rest my cheek against the top of her head. And, while her gentle breaths coast over my heated skin, we drift there in a moment that is weightless, quiet, and ours.

Then suddenly…

“FOOD’S UP!” AJ yells from the shoreline. “Get your sexy asses over here!”

Layla groans as she rolls her head so her forehead is now resting against my shoulder, and says into my chest, “Subtle, that one.”

Chuckling, I say, “You love it.”

“Don’t flatter yourselves,” she deadpans.

I turn slightly in the water, not letting go of her completely. “Come on. Piggyback?”

She eyes me, then says sassily. “I suppose I’ll allow it.”

I dip lower in the water just enough for her to climb on my back, her arms wrapping securely around my shoulders. Her legs hook at my waist, and I start treading water towards the shore, eventually carrying her through the shallows when my feet touch the ground.

Cade lunges towards her halfway through our trek, trying to unseat her. She screams, then laughs hysterically, before declaring, “Cade, don’t you dare!”

“I just want a turn!” he mock pouts as he starts walking next to us.

AJ hollers from the picnic table where lunch is laid out. “Hurry up or I’m eating all the hot dogs and

coleslaw!”

Xavier smirks from beside him. “Make her a plate before we all die of heatstroke and jealousy.”

“The day’s almost as hot as Layla’s swimsuit,” AJ adds with a wink.

Xavier mutters, “I need a cold shower. Or another dip in the lake.”

When we’re completely out of the water, I help her down gently, and her fingers linger a moment on my shoulders before she steps away, grabbing her towel from the sand near our clothes.

She wrings water from her hair, and there’s still sand sticking to her legs, but her smile is wide and unguarded.

And all I can think is that we were all drowning a little this week.

But here with her laugh in the air and sunlight on our skin–we’re starting to float again.

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Ever After Awaits