HIM
I stare at my hands, chest tight. Silence stretches between us. I close my eyes, breathing out heavily.
Maybe that was too much honesty.
My voice is thick as I start explaining:
"It's just, you were talking to Sam and—"
"He's engaged."
My head snaps up and I meet her wide eyes. She sort of shouted it, and it rings in my ears. We're both frozen.
Then, as I sit there looking at her, heat creeps up my neck, flooding my face. I put my head in my hands and groan.
Startled laughter bursts out of her and I think she must be laughing at how idiotic I am. But soon, her laughter brings my own to the surface, and we're chuckling together.
She swallows as the laughter fades.
"Is that why…" Her face twists into a pout and she looks away. I'm suddenly very glad I had the genius idea of the boat, because if we were on dry land she'd be long gone.
"Why…" I prompt, and she side-eyes me.
"The women?" She says it quickly—clipped and reluctant.
I should be responding, but all I can feel is a giddy sort of victory.
She did notice.
I can't stop the smile that takes over my face—until she glances up. I scramble for guilt, nodding.
She lets out a little huff, but her mouth seems to be trying to twist into a smile, and I grin again.
"You were jealous." I sing-song to her.
She whips her head back towards me and frowns in flustered outrage.
"I was not, I—"
"I thought we promised honesty."
This shuts her up. And her mouth twists into a sour, unhappy pucker.
"Fine." She huffs through clenched teeth.
My cheeks hurt from smiling so wide. But I'm worried if I linger on this too long she won't be honest again, so I clear my throat—forcing my face into neutrality.
"Okay. What next?"
She looks at me, hesitant.
"Oh, why'd you run out all of a sudden when I was polishing silver?"
I thought I picked a safe topic, but clearly I was wrong.
Her face turns the same shade of red it did that night, and she squirms as if she's considering jumping out of the boat.
Why is this a sore subject? So far I'm roughly zero for a million when it comes to picking conversation topics. I don't know what to do; she's moving around so much I'm worried she might fall.
I lean forward, and, in a fit of desperation, grab her arms, stilling her.
She looks at me like a caught bird.
"Alright, alright. It's okay." I use my gentle soothing-animals voice and though her chest still rises and falls rapidly, she seems to calm down a bit.
When she stops struggling, I let go of her arms and she puts her face in her hands.
"I promise I won't laugh. Or tease you. Honesty, remember?" I know I shouldn't be pushing her like this, but her reaction makes me desperate to know something I was only vaguely curious about a moment ago.
"You have to swear you will never repeat this. And you can't laugh!"
Anticipation thrums in my veins as she swallows nervously.
"I… I might have…" The words seem genuinely painful to say, and, if possible, she gets more red. She has my complete attention; I'm leaned in, heart galloping. She lets out a strangled groan. "I wanted to… I thought about—"
Drip.
A singular raindrop lands on her nose, silencing her. The next second, the sky seems to open. Rain suddenly pelts us, soaking us in seconds.
She squeals in alarm and I frantically search for the oars.
Her last words hang in the air, echoing around my head. I may actually die of curiosity.
HER
I shiver, squeezing water from my braid.
Aleksi rowed us to the nearest bank, which was luckily next to an empty tunnel where we now hide from the rain.
The water creates a curtain, shutting out the rest of the world. Once again, I'm trying desperately not to look at Aleksi.
His soaked white shirt leaves extremely little to the imagination, and I find myself blushing as I wring my skirt out.
"Seems like it might not let up for a while." Aleksi comments, his voice echoing around us. I hum weakly in agreement, still reeling from our boat ride.
"You're not going to tell me now are you?"
He sounds disappointed, resigned, but he shrugs.
My heart leaps into my throat. I had almost told him…
The cool rain helps stave off too much heat from my face, but I still feel red. He leans against the wall of the tunnel, gazing out at the water.
He was honest with me. I close my eyes, pained.
Maybe it's the leftover energy from Mrs. Kozlov's wins that gives me confidence. Maybe it's Aleksi himself.
Either way, I steel myself.
"I want to preface this with the fact that you were too close back then, and I was tired. And you were saying all these things…" I trail off, confidence waning.
But when I open my eyes, Aleksi is looking at me with such quiet hope that I plow onwards.
"I… had a natural impulse. No, not impulse exactly." I wince at myself, clenching my hands to stop them from shaking.
"Laura." Aleksi says softly.
I look up at him, finding courage in his gentle smile.
"I won't laugh."
All the fight goes out of me.
"I wanted to kiss you."
Everything in my body pauses.
Oh my god.
What have I done?
I can't move, can't look at Aleksi.
"Okay." His voice is low, steady.
Risking it, I glance up at him. His face is surprisingly calm. I feel some of the tension leak from me. I nod.
My muscles release and I stand a little straighter. I laugh softly, the nervous energy that fueled me disappearing—leaving me cold and a little shaky.
And relieved.
Now that I've said it, it doesn't feel so treacherous. It seems… fine.
I roll my shoulders, finally holding Aleksi's gaze.
A giddiness brought on by the release of a heavy weight lifting off my shoulders settles over me and I smile shyly at Aleksi.
He remains straight faced, though, and I falter.
Forcing a laugh, I shift my weight.
The rain continues to roar outside and everything smells of wet dirt. I feel a single raindrop make its way down my nose, onto my lips.
Aleksi's gaze follows it, and I shiver.
"I'm all out of witty banter." I supply uselessly, noting the way his forearms move as he clenches his hands.
He swallows, and I follow the movement with my eyes, down the strong column of his throat.
"So am I."
His voice is rough and low, reverberating around me.
When he moves, I'm not surprised.
Not when he closes the distance between us in two long strides.
And not when he takes my face in his hands and kisses me.
END OF SEASON TWO