The way she parted her lips as she listened intently. The way she bounced on her heels in front of the glass case holding Leonardo’s jersey that he wore during his first game. The soft tone she used when asking questions, nodding intently as the tour guide spoke, as if they would be tested on this later.
She drank in the tour with academic glee, and Nikhail delighted in her joy.
The tour lasted for an hour before ending in what used to be the living room but was now a small gift shop that housed memorabilia, fridge magnets, books, and other mementos.
River ambled through the gift shop behind everyone else, inspecting each item. She flipped through a hardback biography of Leonardo’s early life, putting it back before examining a framed picture of the player posing after a victory in his youth. After that, she stood in front of a row of shirts, studying each one.
Nikhail trailed River, slowly accumulating a pile of merchandise in his arms. River didn’t seem to notice what he was doing until he picked up the soft grey T-shirt she’d been admiring, adding it to his hoard.
“Nik, you don’t have to—” she began to protest.
He shook his head, silencing her with a soft kiss. “I want to.”
Not only because these were souvenirs of their first date—the last one Nikhail ever planned to take—but because it would make River happy. And Nikhail was quickly discovering that he would doanythingto put a smile on his water fae’s face.
CHAPTER 22
Frustratingly, Terribly Wonderful
River leaned against Nikhail, her soul wonderfully light as they walked down the boardwalk of The Winding Canal.
In the summertime, the water lapped gently at the shore. Now, a thick sheet of ice covered the surface, and people were skating along the waterway. Hot cocoa stands were set up on the ice, providing refreshments for the thirsty skaters, along with shacks providing fried dough covered in cinnamon sugar and other tasty treats. The temperature had dropped, and River was grateful for the long coat she’d donned this afternoon and the gloves she had in her pocket.
“Thank you for today, Nik,” she murmured as they passed a pair of lovers kissing beneath a tree. “I loved every second of it.”
This walk was the perfect way to end their date. The boardwalk was busy but not overly crowded. Stars shone above them. The moon lent its silver glow, adding a romantic feel to the evening.
They’d stopped at the car earlier, dropping off the souvenirs Nikhail had purchased at Leonardo House, before making their way to the waterway.
“Of course.” Nikhail lifted their joined hands and pressed a kiss to the back of hers. Her stomach fluttered. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
She beamed. “I did. It was easily the best first date I’ve ever been on.”
Not that she’d had many of those. Between the Incident, medical school, researching the Stillness, and working at the hospital, she hadn’t made much time for dating. But even with her limited experience, River knew she’d always remember this day, when she’d gotten to know a different side of Nikhail.
Today, he hadn’t just been her brother’s best friend or the forbidden object of her attraction, but the man she was dating. Handsome, kind, and considerate, he’d made her laugh and planned a date he knew she would enjoy, with her interests in mind.
Hecared.
Every little thing Nikhail had done today proved that.
River couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed herself so thoroughly. She’d had so much fun that the weight of the prohiberis manacles had escaped her notice. The lack of magic in her veins had barely bothered her, and the emptiness inside her had hardly registered.
Today, she hadn’t been broken or cursed. She hadn’t been worried about her storm or the rebels or her internship at the hospital. She hadn’t even been grieving.
There was a part of River—the young girl who had lost her father—that felt bad about that. Smiling and laughing when her father was dead felt like a slap in his face. But the bigger part of her, the one that had won out, knew that Cyrus would want River to get out and live. He would’ve encouraged her to go on this date and to be happy.
“The best?” Nikhail smiled, a dazzling thing, and drew her to a stop beneath an arch. He placed his finger under her chin, tilting up her head.
“Without a doubt.”
“Good,” he rumbled, stepping closer to her. He lowered his head, his breath ghosting over her lips. “Because this was undoubtedly the most amazing date I’ve ever been on.”
“Really?” How could that be? River was aware of Nikhail’s reputation. She knew that he’d gone on a plethora of dates in the past. As long as she didn’t think too hard about it—or the activities that had surely occurred after—it didn’t really bother her.
What was done was done, and he was here now, with her.
“There’s no contest,” he said. “Every minute I spend with you is better than a hundred spent apart.”