Eric Nottingham, the head of my department, was surprised after he heard my declaration. It wasn’t the answer he had been expecting. 

“Summer, this expedition will last close to two years. It will be a long and difficult assignment. Aren’t you about to get married soon? Are you sure you want to join us? What does Luke think?” 

I looked at myself in the mirror—at the version of myself who hadn’t yet been beaten down by the cruel passage of time. Conviction laced my voice as I said, “His opinion doesn’t matter.” 

Eric was stunned for a few moments before a knowing expression crossed his features. 

“Understood. You have great potential when it comes to understanding the Glacian creatures. Since you’ve made up your mind, the expedition team welcomes you with open arms. Make your preparations. We leave next week.” 

The expedition team was scheduled to depart on the same day as my wedding. 

Luke didn’t take too long in the bathroom. Steam billowed out from behind him as he exited. The fog of intoxication had cleared from his head after he took a shower. He sat down next to me before pulling me into his arms. 

“What’s with that blank look? You’re still daydreaming?” 

My senses were assaulted by the scent of gardenias that clung to his damp skin. It was so overwhelming that I could feel a headache building. Luke smiled when he noticed that my eyebrows were pulled together. 

“I was only joking earlier because I was drunk. Don’t tell me you thought I was being serious? I admit that it’s my fault. I’ll learn what I don’t know, I won’t let you or the baby suffer any hardships.” 

I couldn’t help but think about how the source of all my hardships in my past life could be traced back to Luke. He angled his body toward me as he spoke before leaning in to kiss me. 

In my past life, Luke stopped being affectionate with me after Riley underwent treatment and successfully got pregnant again. I dodged his kiss. The movement accidentally messed up his bathrobe and exposed a tattoo of a set of teeth marks.