Page 19 of Enchanted with the Orc
The Naga was filling the cup, but he looked over at me with a smile, his fangs visible. “The one?” he said. “That’s a big proclamation for just a third date.”
I giggled, looking away, not sure how to respond. “When you know, you know,” I told him and the Naga laughed.
“That’s true,” he chuckled. “I knew by the second date that I was going to marry my wife,” he added, with a grin.
Hope filled my chest at his words. I wasn’t being silly. Love at first sight was a real thing. And even though something was nagging at me on the inside, telling me that it wasn’t truly love, it was just that he was paying attention to me and no one ever had, that didn’t stop me from dreaming.
“I hope it works out,” the Naga added with a wink, his tongue flicking out as he grinned at me.
“Me too,” I confided, returning the wink and turning to leave. I walked toward where David was standing in the middle of the walkway, his gaze flicking from me and then to the Naga.
“Hi,” I breathed, smiling up at his handsome face. There was something different in his expression, something that I’d never seen before. It looked almost like anger, but that couldn’t be right. “I got you a—”
“Do you know him?” David asked, tipping his head toward the Naga.
I turned to glance behind me at where the male was now smiling at a new customer. “No, but he was really friendly,” I told him, turning back with a shy smile. “He was wishing me luck on our date.”
“I bet he was,” he muttered, taking the drinks and popcorn that I was holding.
Sighing at how chivalrous he was, I walked with him toward the screens. I tucked my arm into the crook of his elbow, giddy with the thought that maybe one day I could do it with his ring on my finger.
“I’m excited about this movie,” I told him, going on one of my usual rambles with him. He never minded, but today, he didn’t respond to me, keeping his gaze straight ahead. My brow furrowed, but I continued. “Tabitha—that’s one of the witches in my coven—she said that it was way more interesting than she expected it to be.”
There was still no response from him as he settled into his seat and I did the same in mine.
“And the actress that acted in this one was in my favorite movie from last year,” I continued, not sure why a strange shiver was running up my spine. “I wish we’d seen it together,” I added, leaning my head against his shoulder.
He didn’t pull away, but he also didn’t put his arm around me the way that he usually would. Confused, I stayed where I was, but rejection filled my chest. Hot and humiliating.
ButshouldI be feeling that way? This was our third date. While I’d worn sexy underwear in preparation for the possibility of things moving along in our physical relationship, maybe he was trying to indicate that he didn’t expect that from me.
Grinning at the idea of him being so romantic and thoughtful, I snuggled closer to him as the screen lit up with the trailers. I continued talking to him, indicating the movies that I wanted to see in the future. Hint, hint, David. Withyou.
He didn’t respond to me at all, and the bubble of hurt and confusion filling my chest grew bigger.
What had I done to upset him?
He hadn’t been in a bad mood when we’d first started the date. He’d been cheerful and flirty as usual. Was it… Had he not liked me talking to the Naga male?
He’d been different ever since that moment. While a chimera roared in the opening credits of the movie, I leaned over, whispering to him.
“Are you mad because I talked to the Naga? He’s married and I was talking about you—”
He shushed me, giving my hand on his chest a hard squeeze. I was startled by the rough treatment, but didn’t argue. The movie was starting.
Confusion swirled in my gut, churning it so much that I couldn’t enjoythe popcorn that I usually loved or even pay attention to the movie that I’d been looking forward to seeing for months. Swallowing back the hard lump in my throat, I blinked back the tears that were threatening to spill.
I hadn’t done anything wrong, but it felt like I was being punished for it. And I wasn’t sure how to explain to him that it was nothing. I wouldnevercheat on David. I was already halfway in love with him for the Goddess’ sake. I couldneverhurt him like that.
But maybe he’s been hurt in the past and he thinks you’ll do to him what another female did before.
The thought made my heart melt with sympathy. It was possible. Most of my coven had been hurt by past relationships and it would be foolish to think that just because David was cheerful, sweet, and everything a female could want in a male, that no one had hurt him before.
I snuggled closer to him, turning to whisper in his ear. “There’s no one else for me but you.”
His stiff posture didn’t relax, but his hand curled around mine and the flood of relief that filled me had me nuzzling against his shoulder and settling in for the rest of the movie. I had no idea what was going on since I’d missed the first half, but I didn’t care. I was here with him and that was all that mattered to me.
It wasn’t until we were leaving, tossing my full drink and popcorn into the trash that I realized it wasn’t over. He still wasn’t speaking to me, and the iron in his spine as he held himself slightly away was a brutal fist in my stomach.
