Chapter 186

BELLA’S POV These days, it was hard to tell dreams apart from reality. Mainly because I spent a lot of time sleeping, hiding from the harsh realities of the real world. Besides, my dreams lately…. They weren’t so awful. This particular one was bathed in a soft, golden glow—the kind of dream that wraps around you like a warm blanket in winter. I was curled up on a chaise lounge, staring at the sunset as it cast orange, pink, and gold hues on the surface of the lake in the middle of a picturesque forest. A pair of arms tightened around me, and I snuggled into a warm, firm chest—Nico’s. His steady heartbeat pounded in my ears as we watched the sun descend in the sky, and an odd feeling bloomed in my chest—contentment. Happiness. “It’s so beautiful,” I murmured, enraptured with the way the light danced on the surface of the lake like a pool of lava. Nico kissed my hair. “It’s nothing compared to you.” I laughed, turning to him. He seemed to glow under the light of the sunset. “That’s so ch