HER
When I see what game Adah is pointing to, I laugh. It's perfect. Everyone has too much energy—a slowly building pressure, waiting to blow.
Tug-of-war seems like the perfect solution.
All the men jostle their way forward, eager to the point of clumsiness. Aleksi, though, is as annoyingly calm as ever. Their opponents are big farm boys which—shockingly and slightly embarrassingly—includes Sam. I would say that the farmers have an advantage, except we have Aleksi.
He dwarfs everyone.
In some strange, peacocking ritual, all the men start to strip off their outer layers. Purposely flexing their muscles. I meet Amber and Grace's eyes and we all have to press our lips together to keep from laughing.
The majority are left in loose white shirts, pushed up to their elbows, and suspenders.
On most of the men, it seems—at best—slightly attractive. On Aleksi, it's something else entirely.
Everyone's eyes seem drawn to him, to his corded muscles and tan skin. It should be criminal really, looking the way he does. Like some demi-god carved from stone and set loose.
I barely even register when it starts. I probably wouldn't have registered it at all, if not for the sudden concentration on Aleksi's face. His brow furrows, the seriousness almost jarring when on Aleksi. It doesn't belong to him—like a borrowed mask. Sweat beads on his brow and strands of his hair fall forward.
I watch the muscles in his arms shift, raw strength I've never witnessed rolling off him in waves.
The heat suddenly seems worse than it was a moment ago. I fan my face absentmindedly.
Of course it's the heat.
My eyes drift, and I watch as his feet dig into the soil. His chest heaves and his shirt pulls tight across his chest—
A loud horn sounds and I nearly jump out of my skin.
Oh. We won.
Commotion ensues, and I think distantly that this probably only made their rowdiness worse. The other men are clapping Aleksi on the back, boisterously celebrating.
His eyes find mine like they're magnetized. Shock flits across his face, but it's quickly replaced by something different—more intense. There's a crowd of people separating us, though.
That's when I notice exactly who's in the crowd.
Women. So many women.
All of them looking at Aleksi.
A sour taste fills my mouth and I feel my fast twist against my wishes. The displeasure is so sharp, so foreign, I'm struck frozen by it. Before I know what's happening, Aleksi follows my eyes, noting my expression.
No. He'll misunderstand.
Panic wells up in me, but I'm too far away from him to present any sort of acceptable defense.
In any case, he's already smiling at me like the cat that caught the canary. I groan, looking anywhere but at him—desperate to find anything else to focus on.
I clearly have terrible luck, because it's at this moment when I make eye contact with a very sweaty Sam Jennings.
He shoulders his way through the crowd over to me, and it's too late to run.
"Sam." I greet him with a smile, pretending I don't want to hide under a rock.
"Laura." He smiles easily at me and we laugh.
"Sorry about the loss." I offer, desperate for something to say.
He only waves the comment away, unconcerned.
"They deserved the win."
An awkward silence stretches between us and I wrack my brain. My mind supplies a memory from earlier today.
"I saw you won some of the crop challenges." Relief floods me when he shrugs bashfully.
"It was nothing. Nowhere near as impressive as that cook of yours. I've never seen someone with that many blue ribbons!" We laugh and glance at where Mrs. Kozlov stands, still as a soldier, proudly wearing every ribbon.
It's been almost two minutes, which means my eyes are searching for Aleksi.
When I find him, my head snaps back to the front.
"Something wrong?" Sam asks, confused.
I just shake my head. Because nothing is wrong. Not really.
Only… Aleksi was surrounded by a gaggle of village women, giggling prettily. And one was squeezing the muscles of his arm.
I scowl at my feet. How annoying.
They'll make him even more insufferable, I tell myself. That's why it bothers me. But as I toe the dirt with my shoe, I turn the words over in my head.
I don't think they even sound convincing to me.
HIM
Maybe it was childish to smile at the women. To flex showily and let them touch my arms. No, it was definitely childish. But when I saw her talking to Sam Jennings, logic abandoned me.
First she looks at me—in what way I couldn't even say. Her face was flushed, mouth slightly parted. And for a moment I thought—
Well. It doesn't matter what I thought. Because she's smiling and laughing with Sam. And even my childish tricks have no effect on her. She hasn't even looked this way.
Months of confusing interactions, unresolved feelings and tense looks hit me at once.
And I move.
HER
"Grain prices have really risen this year…" I try to focus on what Sam is saying, but I only catch every few sentences. I think he's talking about crops? The longer I stand here, that stupid image of the woman squeezing Aleksi's bicep in my head, the more ridiculous I feel.
I thought… I don't know what I thought. But my chest feels tight.
Pouring all my focus into Sam, I nod animatedly. But he stops talking, his gaze focused on something above my head.
I turn around and come face-to-face with a familiar chest.
My heart stumbles, then races.
"Why, hello Aleksi." I say wryly. I give myself one second for my face to betray my hurt, my shock, my confusion—before looking up at him with an easy smile.
It falters when I see his face.
He looks… serious.
"What—"
"Come with me."
I barely have time to say goodbye to Sam over my shoulder as he whisks me away.