Page 86 of Tricky Princess
“Ellea!” he called.
Ros was about to leave the bedroom and search for her when he heard the shower running. In five long strides, he was in the bathroom and surrounded by steam. Ellea was in there, standing still under the scalding water. Already naked, he ripped the door open and stormed toward her. She didn’t flinch, only glared at him under wet lashes. He wasn’t having any of that. Grasping her by the throat, he pressed her against the heated tile, and stared at her. He didn’t squeeze, only held her there as the panic slowly faded away. When her beautiful eyes opened, he saw her anger still simmering from the night before. They glared at each other.
“What?” she spat.
“You weren’t there when I woke up,” Ros grumbled. He leaned in close, towering over her. She let out a breath and wrapped her small hand around his wrist, not to pull away but to hold him. His head fell to hers, pressing their foreheads together. He breathed in her rose-scented soap.
“Isn’t that something you need to get used to?” The look she gave him was so sharp compared to the way she held his wrist. It took him a second to understand where this was coming from, but then she continued. “Isn’t that what last night was about? No one is getting married because you don’t see a future for us? I’m not asking to get married, I’m asking for time, for you to not end things because of something you fear.”
If only she knew all he dreamt of last night was a life with her, a wedding. Between his father and Jadis, it had been floating in the back of his mind. It would have been in that valley overlooking all of Glenover’s lakes and forests. She would have worn anything but white, and it would have been only their friends and family. Then all of Glenover would be at the farm to celebrate, making her extremely uncomfortable, but she would endure it so that he could show her off, fully his.
His court would be equally excited; balls and parties would last weeks as they celebrated her, practically worshiping her like they had his mother. But the dreams quickly turned to nightmares. No longer was Ellea walking with souls or being chased by little demon children. She was brutalized and left for dead in the throne room. Like his mother. Like the curse promised.
“I will not take the chance.” It was all he could get out; he had to hide her from his dreams as much as his nightmares.
She didn’t answer; she shoved his hand away and went to leave. He grabbed her wrist roughly, stopping her, but her magic reacted with sparks crackling across her skin.
“You’re being a child.” He didn’t mean it as the words left his stupid mouth. He didn’t know how to fix this.
“And you’re being a stubborn old man.” She pulled her hand away with more strength than he remembered her having. “We talked about this; I’m not going anywhere.”
“I remember what you said.” He did; she hadn’t planned on leaving, but she was not in Hel anymore. Maybe now that she was out, she would realize that she needed to stay away. “Regardless of what you said, I still don’t want you there.”
“You don’t want me there, you don’t want me…is there anything else you don’t want?”
“I don’t want you to be like this! Can we enjoy our time?”
“Our time? What fucking time, Rosier? That got derailed by my parents and your father. I thought you wanted us to date, to try the relationship thing. We have done none of that, and it’s clear to me now that you never planned on this going anywhere.”
She tried storming out of the shower, but Ros caught her by the arm. She let out a sob. His heart clamped hard enough that he lost his breath; this isn’t how it was supposed to go, he was supposed to be taking every moment he had and enjoying all of it with her. Of course, he wanted all of that, but that wasn’t how things worked out.
“Ellea,” he said, pulling on her. “I wanted all of that. I still want all of that. But being home, seeing what you went through while you were there...I don’t want that life for you.”
“It sounds like you don’t want a life with me.” She wouldn’t turn to look at him. “I thought we talked about this, but I was wrong, and you were only entertaining my ideas.”
He searched the side of her face, her tears mixing with the steam.
“No, I was entertaining my own dreams and hurt you instead.”
“You forget, Ros.” She turned toward him. “Every time you underestimate me, I prove you wrong.”
“What does that mean?” he asked, furrowing his brow.
“I don’t give up as easily as you do.”
By the time Ros left the shower and got dressed, Ellea had dried her hair, dressed, and made them coffee. Or the house had. A mug waited for him on the island, and Ellea was sitting on the back porch with Billy’s head in her lap.
“Well,” Garm said, walking into the kitchen in his human form. “You’re an idiot.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” He sipped his coffee, one he didn’t deserve, and watched Ellea idly stroke Billy’s head. “What am I supposed to do? You’ve lived in Hel longer than I’ve been alive. You know how it is there, what everyone is like. The curse…no ruler of Hel will have someone rule beside them.”
“I think you should talk to your father,” Garm said, also watching Billy and Ellea. “And stop trying to make decisions for El; it’s clear where she wants to be, and that’s with you in Hel.”
“Really? Because yesterday and this morning are telling me something different.”
No matter how much her words hurt the night before, it gave him a bit of horrible hope that maybe she didn’t care for him enough. Enough that she could walk away.
“You dumb boy.” Garm growled and turned toward him. “Because she said she wasn’t in love? After you said no one was getting married and days after you told her you didn’t want her in Hel? Both of you are blind and extremely tiring. There is too much going on for you both to be so hung up on ignoring your feelings and desires.”
