Forbidden Heat novel Chapter 204

“…Sure. Thank you, R” I thanked him softly as I climbed on to his back.

This really was the exact repetition of what happened the last time we were here. Reiner carried me on his back into the forest; however, this time I had the courage to keep my eyes opened. The forest was quite dark, and the main source of light was the flashlight that Reiner held. This time the walk felt shorter than the last and it felt like we arrived at the grassy clearing at the edge of the forest in no time.

“Wow. The stars look just as beautiful as the last time we were here. Remember?” I asked as I pointed to the starry sky above us.

Reiner also looked up at the starry sky as he nodded in agreement. It was a magical moment as we stood there side by side just gazing at the stars in the silence. The road below was empty and only rarely did a car pass by.

The strong gust of wind blew by causing me to shiver even though it wasn’t that cold. Reiner wrapped his arm around me to hug me close to him. I sighed in bliss as I relaxed my body and enjoyed his warmth.

“This is not a bad date spot, honestly,” I said after a short period of silence had passed.

“I guess…” Reiner replied vaguely.

“Let me pick the spot for our date next time, ok?” I said as I smiled at him.

Reiner was silent as if in deep thought as he gazed up at the stars.

“You think this is a great date spot because we can see the stars, right?” Reiner said almost absentmindedly.

“…Yes, that’s right,” I answered, feeling a little confused.

“You once asked me why I came here…” Reiner continued, his eyes now focused on the road below.

“Yeah, you said you were here for work, and I didn’t believe you,” I replied with a small laugh.

“For my line of work, this is a great spot. Not because you can see the stars but because you have a clear view of that road,” Reiner said as he pointed to the curve in the road below.

“What do you mean?” I asked, the knot inside my stomach tensing tighter as I had a sense of foreboding.

“Around ten years ago there was a car crash right at that bend in the road,” Reiner said as his eyes focused on the road below.

“There was an accident here?” I asked in shock.

“Well, it wasn’t exactly an accident…” Reiner said as he turned to face me. His face was grim.

“What do you mean?” I asked in a whisper. I didn’t like where this conversation was going. I wanted to go home.

“Save…Na…ta…lia…” Reiner said in a strained voice.

“What?” I asked in confusion, my voice barely a whisper.

“Those were your mother’s last words,” Reiner said softly.

“No…wait…how do you know that?” I asked, unable to believe my own ears.

“Your mother died here, Natalia,” Reiner said with a sorrowful expression.