Levy turned the note over again in her hands. Remnants of the daylight that had streamed through her window when she'd sat down cast shadows around her room. But she didn't need the light to know what was written there; she'd read it countless times over the past three days. Fifty-seven words scribbled into parchment were now burned into her memory.

How about a little adventure, Shrimp? Meet me where I first swept you off your feet. Four days from now, just before first light peeks out over this planet. I've got something special I wanna show ya, if you're not afraid to sail with pirates. I'll bring the rum this time. You bring better running shoes. -CGR

Levy buried her face into her knees thinking about that night. Swept her off her feet—more like tossed her over his mechanical shoulder kicking and screaming. Still, she wouldn't have changed anything about it, despite the rather unfortunate circumstances.

That had been six weeks ago. Six heart pounding, gut wrenching, butterflies running races through her stomach weeks of all-day texts and late night video calls. And Levy hadn't been able to stop smiling since. Especially now that his studded face graced every other wanted poster on Blue Garden.

His strong, chiseled face with that cocky grin. But the posters never truly did him justice. There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye that you could only see in person, and Levy longed to experience that flash of dangerous excitement again. Some days it felt like it had all been a dream, but the universe had quite literally shoved her into his arms.

Being friends with a real pirate was nothing like the tales in her books. He was so much more complex than the characters she'd fallen for between pages. Brazen and terrifyingly powerful one moment, he'd slip into something gentle and sweet the next. Levy couldn't care less about the sharp edges of his personality. Every beautiful rose had thorns. Nothing worth having came without risk.

Each day her heart would flutter at the telltale vibration of a new message on her communicator. There was hardly a morning she awoke without a text from one mysterious CGR. Her mind flicked back to the basement of Lily's bakery and words she hadn't been supposed to hear. Smitten after just one night, Captain. Levy bit down on the memory. Had it even been real or just something she'd pulled from the depths of her imagination?

Her face warmed. He'd left her trinkets, small gestures of thanks at the shop before, but this was different. This was much more serious than their usual playful exchange of wit; it was an invitation. One he'd managed to sneak onto her ship without tripping any alarms.

Levy's gaze drifted to the window. The street lights were now lit, turning the darkness of the night into something eerily romantic. She smiled. It had been a night so similar to this—except for the rain—and the rum.

She'd taken a chance that night. To go out by herself. To save him. To turn the wildest string of coincidences into a friendship. But the thought of accepting his offer still set her heart racing. She wasn't afraid of his crew. It almost felt like she knew them from the stories he loved to tell. No. This would lead her down a path she couldn't control. And that was something Levy had promised herself she'd never do a long time ago. Still, she wasn't sure if she was more scared to stay or to go.

Falling back against her pillow, Levy tossed and turned in her bed. A small voice in her heart told her that he cared—more than what was due someone who'd saved his life. If she got on that ship, there'd be no telling when she'd come back. Levy had opened up to him about the pieces of her life she'd lost along the way. Maybe this was his way of saying he—

A ringing bell in the distance shook her from her thoughts.

It was one in the morning already, and nothing had changed save for the light outside. Head and heart still fought to tear her apart. How much could she trust a man she'd met once but had been with every day in spirit? Was she brave enough to take that chance? A chance at happiness, a chance at heartbreak, a chance at romance-maybe. Heavy lids pulled her down into slumber. She'd have her answers tomorrow.

It had been the rain that had convinced her, tapping on her window and stirring Levy from a restless sleep. He was a risk worth taking. With a steaming cup of coffee in hand, she found herself just a few streets away from her favorite barcade in the heart of town. Water splashed against her feet as Levy tried and failed to avoid a puddle. She smiled. These were definitely better shoes, and she was grateful to have an umbrella this time.

Levy stopped cold as the bright neon letters of Domus Flau came into view. The establishment still hummed with life, even in the dusty hours just before dawn, when everyone—including her—should be asleep. But the bubbling excitement in her chest was too much to ignore. Levy had no idea what might happen next, but she'd made her choice. There was no turning back.

Light filtered through the clouds, warming her spine. Levy tossed her head back and breathed a sigh of relief. She'd made it on time. Resting a hand on the bench that faced the barcade, she bit back on her nerves and took another sip of coffee.

"Time for a leap of faith, Lev," she murmured, pulse drumming in her ears. "You're brave enough to—"

"Hey there, shortstuff."

Levy's breath caught in her chest. His voice was deeper in person, laced with adventure in a way that could never be conveyed across a communicator. It made goosebumps race across her neck. Her grip faltered, and the cup tumbled to the floor, straight into the metallic hand of the man she'd been waiting for.

"Glad ya got my note."