Page 48 of Façade

He tucked the rocks we’d gathered together safely in his pocket before sending a cascade of water over me, soaking me through. But despite the chill from my dripping skirts and the approaching autumn air, I felt a girlish thrill that he’d joined me in my mischief.

Thus began our water fight, during which we laughed, shrieked, and splashed one another like a couple of children. With each gesture I felt all the tension and hurt that had riddled our relationship begin to heal. Our game ended when Ryland seized me from behind when I tried to run away and we both slipped on the slick stones and tumbled into the stream.

We stared at one another—both soaked, dripping, and thoroughly disheveled—before we burst into laughter. “Are you alright?” He scooted close enough to examine me for injuries, a thoughtful gesture that added additional healing to our relationship.

I looked up with a nod…only to discover how close he knelt beside me. In an instant my shivers vanished, swallowed up by his proximity that seemed to have grown more intense and pleasant after I’d so thoroughly enjoyed his company.

My breath caught as our gazes locked. An almost tingly energy passed between us as we stared at one another, one that made me yearn to not only draw closer but remain by his side forever, a rather alarming feeling considering the difficulties that still acted as a barrier between us. This feeling only grew when he reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear, an innocent gesture that in this moment felt far too dangerous considering the circumstances.

He suddenly yanked both his hand and gaze away. “We should resume our journey so we can make steady progress before nightfall.” He helped me to my feet, and together we sloshed back upstream.

I didn’t immediately follow. I stared after his retreating back, feeling that with every step he was getting farther and farther away…something I was beginning to realize I didn’t want. I knew my desires were foolish when our history and his goals made him the last man I should trust…and yet in this moment that almost felt like friendship, I found Iwantedto, a feeling more frightening than his plans to exploit Estoria’s magic.

He paused halfway up the bank to turn around. So much filled his intense look, one I still didn’t know him well enough to even begin to decipher, though I suddenly very much wanted to.

Despite my shifting feelings making it imperative I run as far away as possible, these desires urged me closer. When I reached his side he offered me his arm, as if to escort me to a formal dinner rather than through a stream to our waiting horses.

I lifted my eyebrow in silent question and he hastily averted his eyes. “I wouldn’t want you to slip.”

He hadn’t seemed concerned about such a thing at the beginning of our wading adventure, and I’d already aptly demonstrated I could navigate the rushing water with little issue. Yet I still found myself wanting to accept his arm, such a contrast to my previous desires to maintain as much distance as possible.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I looped my arm through his and allowed him to lead me the remaining short distance to where our entourage awaited us on the bank. Though this wasn’t the first time we’d walked arm in arm, something felt different now.

The abundance of sunshine along with the beauty of the day seemed to have faded, leaving me not entangled in my usual distraction but tenderly enfolded within the present moment. I felt acutely aware of every sensation—the strength of Ryland’s arm looped through mine, the soothing sound of his nearby breaths, and the soft, nearly indiscernible patter of his rapidly pounding heart, beating in sync with mine. With every step I found myself pressing myself closer to him, just to feel the warmth of his nearness, a pleasant contrast to the coolness from my wet skirts and the water lapping at my calves. If only our walk could last forever.

Only his gentle voice was strong enough to penetrate the thoughts consumed by him. “Evelyn?” Anxiety twisted his expression when I glanced towards him. “I’m sorry I married you with the intention of stealing your magic.”

I didn’t immediately answer as I searched his expression for his sincerity…and to my surprise, I actually discovered it. Hope caused my heart to lift. “Does this mean you’ll abandon your goal of marrying the real Estorian princess for her powers?”

He hesitated a moment before releasing a whooshing breath. “I truly wish I could. And yet with the curse afflicting the land, I fear I don’t have any choice if I want to help them. I feel so lost.”

He fell silent. Rather than continue our earlier search for rocks, his anxious gaze instead scanned the foliage along the bank, as if searching for additional signs of the curse afflicting his land in order to bolster his determination to stay his dishonorable course.

Though I still loathed the thought of him using my kingdom, for the first time a new emotion accompanied my annoyance—his concern tugged on my heart, causing me to not only empathize but yearn to find a way to help him. His burden weighed upon my own, suddenly too heavy to bear—the weight of our charade, the tension constantly riddling our relationship, and especially my hatred towards him.

After his apology I wondered if he’d drop the uncomfortable subject, but to my surprise, just as we reached the shore he spoke again. He gently turned me to face him, his own gaze lowered.

“Please believe me when I assure you: I don’t want to be a cad, nor do I wish any harm to you or your kingdom. I want to do the right thing, but the correct course seems difficult to discern when our interests so drastically conflict with one another.”

“Unfortunately, choices are rarely black and white.” Things would be so much simpler if they were.

He finally lifted his gaze to evenly meet mine, his own taking in my face in an almost caressing manner. “They’re certainly not. If they were…perhaps our own story would turn out differently.”

My heart lurched at the unexpected words. Somehow I sensed our conversation had shifted far from where it’d started.

I felt this change in the space between us, urging me to examine the feelings our time together had only just begun to stir in my heart, the emerging desires warring against all sense, and my realizing that the unconventional relationship Ryland and I were forging also wasn’t as black and white as it’d initially seemed.

Impossibly, I was somehow growing to care for the very man I still couldn’t trust.

This startling realization continued to whirl in my mind when we finally returned to our horses and Ryland helped me into my saddle with a touch that felt like a jolt of heat along my waist. To think this was only the first day of our journey…

Suddenly my main concern was no longer how to prevent our annulment in order to protect the real princess, but to protect my heart from the man who not only didn’t deserve it, but who had no interest in keeping it.

CHAPTER16

Our tedious day of traveling finally came to an end. With utter relief I slid off the horse and stretched, my limbs aching from sitting still for so long. Our attendants did the work of setting up camp and preparing dinner, leaving me restless yet too exhausted to even muster the strength to help. Instead I settled on a log to enjoy the tranquil clearing, filled with many lovely sights and sounds to keep my mind happily occupied no matter which path it wandered…yet for once I found myself focusing on one in particular.

Ryland.

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