Page 107 of Fire of the Fox

My heart ached for him. I knew what loss he meant. The pain he felt after losing his dad was surely unbearable, and after his mother separated him from his closest family, there was a void inside him that couldn’t be filled. At least, he thought so. It felt like he thought nothing could make it better, and because of it, he refused to let it happen again. With time, I hoped that his friends and I could show him it was okay to let people in.

Meeting his eyes again, I was careful as I said, “You can’t live that way forever. It will hurt you more in the long run if you don’t let yourself feel those things.”

“Maybe.” He shrugged and laid back again. “But that’s my problem to deal with.”

The mood turned somber after that, so I focused on my painting again to avoid thinking about our conversation. I mean, on one hand, it was kind of a confession on his part because he admitted I’d already wedged myself in his heart, but at the same time, it was a clear rejection because he refused to be with me. I had no idea how I was supposed to feel in this moment, but that didn’t stop the hurt from taking hold in my chest.

“Sorry.”

I looked up at the sound of his voice. He was still lying on his back, but he had his arm draped over his eyes.

I shrugged. “For what? If you don’t like me, you don’t like me. You can’t help that.”

“I never said that.”

My heart betrayed me and fluttered at his words. It obviously didn’t understand that we were supposed to be upset at the moment, not hopeful.

“I know it doesn’t make sense to you, and I’m being a dick,” he started. “I don’t mean to hurt you. That’s the last thing I want. I just don’t know how to open myself up to those feelings anymore. I’m so used to acting like an ass to make people want to stay away. I don’t know how to be anything else anymore. To be completely honest, I’m scared to try.”

Carefully placing my painting in the grass, I flopped down next to him on the blanket. I laid out on my side, my head resting on my hand. He uncovered his eyes and turned his head to look at me.

“You’re scared?” I laughed. “I’m scared. We’re from two different worlds, Rune.”

A little closer now that I knew I was Water Fae, but still different. That alone was a major worry of mine now. Because I was his enemy, the thing he loathed most in the world. And to top it off, I was the Water Fae. The Princess. My gut twisted a little as I thought about how I’d tell him. It was such a huge confession, and the weight of it was already making my heart heavy.

We were just starting to really open up about our feelings, and if I made that kind of declaration now, it could ruin everything. I had to wait, especially since I was still learning what it meant to be Fae and the Princess of Water Fae. I’d have to tell him eventually, but I couldn’t yet.

Finding my voice again, I said, “Even though it’s scary, I want to try. I don’t want to ignore my feelings, and you shouldn’t, either.”

He rolled onto his side to face me, propping his head on his hand. Our faces were inches apart, our bodies so close that when we breathed, our chests pressed together. My pulse quickened at the feel of his body so close to mine.

His amber eyes searched my face. “You have no idea how much I want to just give in. You’re my weakness and strength all mixed together in one brilliant mess. It’s just hard to let go of how I’ve lived for so long.”

“I know it’s hard. But you aren’t alone. You have me, Akira, Bassel, everyone. We all care about you and want to see you happy, which starts with you opening up.”

His features were strained as if his heart were being pulled in two directions. He wanted to give in, but he was still scared. It was going to take time for him to stop fighting against how he felt, but that was fine. I’d be there every step of the way.

Reaching out my hand, I wrapped it into his long, soft hair and tugged him forward. He happily leaned in, and his kiss sent electricity whizzing through my body. There was a hungry passion behind his kiss, and even if he couldn’t say the words yet, I knew how he felt from that alone.

He rolled me onto my back and hovered above me to keep his weight off me as he urged my mouth open to him, and I gladly obliged. We stayed that way for hours. Kissing with a burning intensity followed by a hot chocolate break, followed by me painting more, and then back to kissing. It was the perfect ending to a perfectly normal day.

Chapter Forty-Four

THE NEXT MORNING was hectic. It was the day of our departure, but before I could leave, I had one final thing to do. Before daylight was even up, I drove back to campus with my money and filled out paperwork for Italy. I wanted to turn it over to Professor Lichen in person, but seeing as how I was still supposed to be beat up from a car wreck, I knew I couldn’t show my face. Instead, I dropped the folder and sealed envelope in her teacher’s mailbox with a note saying my parents drove me in to deliver it.

As soon as the papers were in, a rush of something light and bubbly filled my chest. It danced in endless twirls and tasted of hope. With this, my future was set. I’d be going to Italy. I’d get to meet the Luca Romano, my idol, my hero. I’d get the chance to make my dream my reality.

I left the art building as the glow of the rising sun broke through the trees on the horizon. The pink hue kissed my cheeks, and I took a deep breath, inhaling the rich scent of fallen leaves caught on the wind. All of the pain, fear, and worry from the past two months left me on my exhale until I was left smiling into the sunrise.

It was a new day, and for better or worse, I was a new me. I’d grown a thicker skin and learned how to be a stronger version of myself. I’d taken chances that led to where I stood now, one step closer to being a painter. I’d fallen in love with a protective, hot-headed, and extremely caring Fox Fae. And I’d finally learned who I was.

I was Bria Ashmoore.

Future world-renowned artist.

Princess of the Water Fae.

Tears pooled in the corners of my eyes as I raised my face into the glow of the sky and whispered, “I hope you’re proud of me, Mom and Dad.”

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