I raise myself off the chair, placing my hands on either side of her, and lean in close.
“Princess,” I growl.
She stares at me, her eyes glinting with a challenge. Something strange happens because as we stare at each other, everything fades away. The danger, the anger, and the horror of Helena’s time here all disappear. I grip the desk on either side of her. The wood where the lacquer has faded away is rough under my fingers. I can’t help but notice the way her body fits perfectly between my arms as I box her in.
Her shirt is sliding down one shoulder, and my eyes are drawn to that bare patch of skin. Never has a shoulder looked more tantalizing than it does right now. I had been wrong to think she was fragile, and I marvel at the fact that this female was able to save us both yesterday.
Suddenly realizingwhereI am looking andwhoI am looking at, I blink. It takes actual effort to drag my eyes up to her face. Those pink eyes are wide as they meet mine, and I am still locked in an orbit around her. Helena parts her lips, her tongue flicking out over the bottom of her mouth, as her eyes stay on mine. Everything within my body tenses as I lean in closer, cutting the distance between us in half.
Helena doesn’t move, her eyes watching me carefully as I draw nearer and nearer. Her breath catches, and she lifts her hands—those strange, webbed hands. We both watch as she grabs my shirt, pulling me towards her.
“Are you all right?” I ask gently.
She freezes, and her hand falls away. Very slowly, she nods, and one of her webbed fingers traces over my hand.
Two things become abundantly clear in this moment.The first is that somewhere along the way, Helena has become very important to me. The second is that I must be insane. Absolutely, certifiably insane. Because this isn’t just any random female. And I am not supposed to be feeling this way about her.
I close my eyes, taking a deep breath, before reopening them.
Everything is changing.
“What are you doing on my desk, Princess?” I ask. The words come out sharper than I had intended. Just like that, the moment is broken.
She flinches, and something akin to sadness flits through me. Her face hardens and becomes expressionless as she raises a shoulder and pats the desk, as though saying,I’m sitting, just like you wanted.
“You and I both know this isn’t what I meant when I asked you to sit.”
She glares at me, and after a moment, I sigh.
“I wanted to... thank you for yesterday.” I practically choke on the words. They feel like chalk in my mouth. However, I need to say them. She did save my life, after all. Personal feelings aside, I know that I would have died if it wasn’t for her. “Truly, thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”
A long moment passes before she nods. She reaches over and grabs a piece of paper, scribbling on it.
You’re welcome.We’re even now.
Then, without even waiting for a response, Helena hops off my desk. Ducking under my arms, she walks to the bookshelf and points at a book. It takes me a moment to catch up with her. My mind is still stuck on the almost-kiss.
She despises me. I’ve done everything possible to avoid her before her father forces me to kill her.
That’s simple. This, what just happened between us, is not simple.
I ask, “You want to borrow a book?”
She nods eagerly, her eyes lighting up.
“Sure, go ahead,” I say, sighing as I run my hand through my hair.Why not complicate the situation further?
She pursues the shelves briefly before grabbing a novel and heading out the door. I watch her leave before collapsing on my couch.
I am so screwed.
10
What’s A Shower?
HELENA
Ishoot up from my shallow sleep. My chest is heaving, and I am fighting the urge to throw up again. Sweat has drenched my sheets, so I tear them off and toss them in a pile.