Chapter 11 #3
“What’s wrong with imagining a future of happiness?” he asked. “You deserve it, Oli. You give and sacrifice for those around you to have a better life. Why can’t you have that too?”
I can’t dream big. I can’t fantasize about the future… especially with him. Not until I figure out the riddle. Not until I know I can trust him…
I placed my hands on his chest to push him away from me, but, to my surprise, Keanu put his hands around my waist and drew me closer to him. This was a terrible idea.
Every part of me wanted to melt into him, to kiss him.
No. No. NO. I couldn’t kiss him. I couldn’t fall into this trap of his, especially when I didn’t know his true motives.
“I hope you can forgive me for the way I treated you the night we met,” Keanu said. Those were not the words I expected.
“What do you mean?”
“I wasn’t very kind to you. You didn’t deserve to be treated that way. I was desperate.” His voice caught on the word desperate. “And I feel desperate now, but it’s a different desperate.” One of his hands moved up my back, towards my neck. My legs were turning to puddles.
“It’s… getting late.” I used all my self-control to pull away, knowing that if we stood like that for one more second, my hands on his chest, his arms wrapped around me…
I was done for. I climbed into the bed, unable to make eye contact with Keanu.
He stood at the door to the balcony, and looked outside for a moment.
I felt embarrassed. We were so close to having a magical moment, so close to possibly having mutual affection.
I can’t do that. My mind won, just as it should. It was dangerous to fall for him. I still knew so little. But as Keanu blew out the light and fell asleep on the covers next to me, I couldn’t help replaying his words in my mind.
“What’s wrong with imagining a future of happiness?”
Everything. Everything was wrong with that.
Who knew what would happen? What if I did solve the riddle, and then Keanu and I were free of the curses?
I could live longer than a month, and Keanu wouldn’t be a night marcher.
And if that happened, he would probably divorce me quietly and I would live with my family.
Right. I told myself I would keep building my walls.
It just didn’t help that sometime in the night, Keanu’s hand found mine, and I dreamed of what could have been if I let him kiss me next to the balcony, with the rain pouring outside.
The next morning, I actually heard Keanu get up. He left while it was dark, then returned about an hour later, while it was still dark. I sat up, finding him shirtless–again–and drenched in sweat. He was standing by the desk, leaning over his journal and writing something.
“What are you doing?” I asked, rubbing my eyes.
“Good morning,” he said, though he didn’t look at me. He continued to pen something. “I’m… writing.”
“What are you writing?” I slowly removed the covers and slid my feet over the side of the bed.
“My thoughts.” He looked at me now, his eyes shining. Keanu was so full of life, it almost made me… jealous. He motioned to the book. “You’re welcome to read it. What’s mine is yours, my bride.” He grinned as I glanced at the book.
“I’ll let you keep your thoughts in privacy.”
Keanu stretched his arms as he approached the end of the bed, his eyes on me, his movements quick again, like a fish darting through the coral.
“Where did you go this morning?” I asked, making the bed calmly.
“I went for a run. Sometimes I go for a swim.” He leaned against the bedpost and folded his arms, his hair hanging over his forehead. “You should come with me.”
“If I can get up that early.” I was quite tired. The first peeks of twilight cast purple and pink lights in the room. Malu perched on the balcony outside, watching us.
“You get used to it,” Keanu said as he dressed for the day. I hurried to the washroom, remembering what happened the previous night and just how close I was to really falling for him.
“I’m going to the border today,” Keanu said when I emerged wearing a navy blue dress. Like the other outfits I wore, the skirt flared out dramatically, supported by crinoline lining underneath. The corset cinched my waist, and a cameo collar finished the outfit.
Keanu smiled as he took me in.
Don’t blush. I couldn’t help it. Why did he look at me that way? It was as if he couldn’t get enough of me.
He wore a matching blue suit, and I noticed a sword hanging from his belt. “I apologize I can’t help with the riddle again today,” he said. “But tomorrow we can visit the kingdom and continue solving it.”
Swift as a shark cutting through the water, Keanu took my hand and kissed my knuckles. “I will be back before dinner though I promise. I would love to escort you and eat together tonight.”
I was breathless. Why did he do this to me? It was wildly unfair. He then planted a kiss on my forehead, making my head reel with every emotion.
“I look forward to seeing you later.” Then he was gone, leaving me standing in the bedroom, my emotions as tangled as a fisherman’s net on a bad day.