Page 105 of The Surprise

I freeze.

“Don’t I need a fishing pole or something?”

I laugh, and stand up to go open the boxes. “Right.”

It takes a moment to run through the equipment and rules. If he’s fished with his dad, he probably knows more than I do, but I’m required to do it.

“I know how to work it.” Ethan stands and takes it from me. “Beth.”

My eyes snap up to his.

His voice is soft. Gentle, even. “I didn’t come here to fish.”

Iknewit. “Ethan, I can’t.”

“You can’t what?”

“I can’t talk about this anymore. I think I was clear yesterday.”

“Yesterday you told me you’re a frog and I’m a bird.” He laughs. “Pardon me if I don’t think that’s the last word on the subject. I feel like my jokes about the Romeo and Juliet analogy have confused you.” He drops the fishing pole and takes my hand.

The warmth of his hand on mine, the gentle rocking of the boat, his kind words, they all confuse me. For just a moment, I imagine a future for us. The future I thought about fondly off and on for almost a year.

“Beth, I like you. I’ve liked you for a long time, now.”

“I know,” I say, “but—”

He presses a finger to my lips, and then he replaces it with his mouth. His arms wrap around me, pulling me closer. “Beth.” His mouth shifts from mine just enough to speak, so it’s like my name falls across my own face. “I don’t just like you. Iloveyou.”

My heart shifts inside my body, changing, reshaping. It’s like all the dreams I’ve had for years couldn’t possibly anticipate this moment, where the prince from the stories comes down on his white horse and tells me I’m the one for him. It’s as ridiculous as any Cinderella story I’ve ever heard.

“I can’t handle any more nonsense about birds and frogs, okay?” He kisses me again, and I forget where we are. I forget who we are. I forget why I didn’t want to date him.

But then it hits me.

He knows about Jackson. It seems like he doesn’t care about that, like Dolores said he might not.

But he doesn’t knoweverything. I push him back. “We still need to talk.”

I can feel it coming.

It’s like the scene where the dragon shows up to roast the prince. Only, instead of the dragon being slain, the prince is going to throw down his shield and run away in disgust.

“Okay.” He smiles. “I always want to talk to you. Talking may be the thing I like to do with you the most.” He looks down at my mouth. “Or maybe the second most.” His boyish smile melts me.

“Ethan.”

“You can say my name all day, in any way you want.” He bites his lip. “Now try it like you’re mad.Ethan!”He grins.

“Sit.” I shove away from him, my fingers noticing the defined ridges of his muscles. I shiver.

Focus, Beth.

“I like you too,” I say. “But did you hear me yesterday?”

He nods eagerly, like a little boy about to tell his mom about his Lego tower. “I did, and I thought about it. You don’t owe me anything, not even an explanation. I mean, we weren’t dating.”

“You thought about it and you decided ‘it’s fine’? Just like that?”

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