She was shocked by that.
“You didn’t?”
“No. I would never have married my sister off to somebody that she didn’t want. She did that. She was so convinced that she needed to do something to help consolidate the power in the kingdom. She wanted to make herself as useful as I made myself, at least, that’s what she said. I tried to stop her, but once Emerald makes her mind up on something, nothing dissuades her. Except Andrei. Who seduced her, and got her pregnant.”
“So it runs in the family.”
“Getting trapped into marriage by her pregnancy?”
She snorted. “Something like that.”
He was uncomfortable with the comparison between himself and his sister.
Obviously.
“I want to go explore more on the island today. Go to the beach. I found some snorkeling equipment in one of the rooms.”
“Are you sure you should do that while pregnant?”
“This is my very first adventure, Onyx.”
It was the first time she called him by his name like that. Not trying to wound him or strike out at him. Not trying to be difficult. But just called him by his name because that’s what felt natural.
“Obviously, I will accompany you.”
“You sound so excited for your afternoon at the beach.”
“Recreation is—”
“Not something you usually engage in?”
“However did you guess?”
He looked very nearly amused, and she fetched some herbal tea, and fruit, and joined him at the table.
“Let’s go,” she said.
That’s how they found themselves down on the beach, with the picnic basket, and snorkels and flippers.
He was in that very brief swimsuit again, and she would be lying if she didn’t say she very much liked it.
But she didn’t have to say it out loud. The water was like a bath, smooth and clear and warm. The sea life was more plentiful than she could’ve imagined, and she felt like she was living in a dream. It turned out snorkeling while pregnant was a lovely activity, regardless of what Onyx had said.
He stood resolutely on the shore while she swam around, looking at fish and manta rays, and it was just such a strange thing. Because it felt like a beautiful thing that this was her life, all of a sudden.
She didn’t hate him.
She didn’t hate him, but it was frightening to think that she could develop feelings for him again. Because at no point had he professed to wanting that. No. In fact, even though he had been perfectly cordial for two whole days now, she still felt extremely guarded around him. Like he might turn on her at any moment. It was almost as if not only did she have a lifetime of experience with that, but he had done it to her just like everyone else.
She took her snorkel off, and rolled over so that she was lying on her back, floating there in the water. She looked up at the fathomless blue sky and then stood. The water was shallow, even as far out as she was, only coming to her waist.
She looked up at him, and he looked away.
She didn’t want to ask herself if he was looking at her. But unfortunately, it was then all she could think of.
She began to walk up out of the water, moving toward him. They had done a lot of talking since yesterday. She felt vulnerable. She felt like she was clinging onto the very edge of her sanity. Or maybe she wasn’t. Maybe she wasn’t at all.
But what she did know was that the ache for him didn’t seem to want to go away. What she did know was that one thing that made sense was touching him.
