Chapter 158: The Picnic
Trigger warning: sexual assault.
Lorelai might have dwelled longer on the strange intrusion into her thoughts if not for the persistent throbbing in her hip, which had grown nearly unbearable.
Thankfully, Kai brought the horse to a stop and dismounted with ease. Offering her his hand, he gently helped her down, his touch steady but careful as she winced in pain.
With a broad smile, he led her toward the shade of a sprawling apple tree, his gaze flickering to her face every few steps, searching for signs of joy or approval.
What he saw instead unsettled him. Lorelai’s pale face was clouded with an expression of discomfort, her delicate brows knitted in frustration. Her vivid green eyes seemed distant, taking little notice of their picturesque surroundings.
Was she unhappy again? Did she truly need him to tell her how to think, feel, and act at all times? A flicker of disappointment passed through him, though he quickly buried it.
He planned all this in advance, Lorelai thought absently, her eyes falling on the elaborate spread beneath the apple tree.
A large, soft quilt covered the patch of fading grass. Autumn’s golden hand had already begun its slow takeover, the vibrant greens and bright blossoms wilting into subdued hues of amber and brown.
On the quilt lay an impressive array of snacks and delicacies, flanked by an assortment of wines and juices stored in crystal-clear bottles resting in buckets of chilled water.