The CEO’s Unspoken Love (Eleanor and Derek) novel Chapter 226

Chapter 226

“Derek, it’s breathtaking,” I said, turning slowly to take in the panorama.

He smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Worth the hike?”

“Absolutely.”

We worked together to set up camp, our movements complementary and efficient. I loved watching, Derek’s complete focus when he assembled the tent, the way his brow furrowed slightly in concentration. These small, ordinary moments had become precious to me, each one a gift I might never have received.

With our tent secure and evening approaching, Derek surprised me by producing a bottle of champagne from his pack. “How

How on earth did you carry that all the way up here?” I laughed, accepting the plastic cup he offered.

“Some things are worth the extra weight,” he replied, pouring the golden liquid with careful precision.

We sat on a flat rock at the edge of the clearing, watching as the sun began to set. The sky blazed with color-orange and pink bleeding into deepening blue. Derek’s arm wrapped around my shoulders, and I leaned against him, savoring his solidity, his warmth, his aliveness.

“To full recovery,” he said, raising his cup.

“To new beginnings, I added, clinking my cup against his.

As darkness fell and the first stars appeared, I found myself thinking about the fragility of life, how quickly everything can change. Just months ago, I had sat beside Derek’s hospital bed, counting his breaths, monitoring his machines, praying for any sign that he was still with me. Now here we were, beneath an open sky, our future stretching before us like the endless stars above.

‘Look,” I said, pointing upward as more stars emerged. “Cassiopeia. And there’s the Big Dipper.”

Derek followed my finger, his eyes reflecting the starlight. “I didn’t know you were interested in astronomy.”

“Mostly I just want days like this. Ordinary days with you.”

Derek’s breathing seemed to quicken beside me, and I felt him shift, turning to face me more directly. His face was half in shadow, half illuminated by the rising moon, his expression unreadable yet somehow charged with meaning.

“Derek?” I touched his face, concerned by the intensity I sensed in him. “What is it? You’ve been acting strange all day.”

He took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving mine. The night air hung still around us, as if the forest itself was holding its breath in anticipation. A distant owl called, the sound echoing across the valley.

Derek swallowed hard, then turned his body fully toward me, taking both my hands in his. The moonlight caught in his eyes, revealing a mixture of determination and vulnerability that made my heart race.

Just as he opened his mouth to speak, I felt myself leaning forward, drawn by some invisible force, the stars above us witnesses to whatever moment was about to unfold.