Page 4 of The Promised Prince
“No.” She winced. “I’m not dead.” She watched him struggle, her expression confessing her guilt. “I...was faking it.”
“I can see that.” He climbed up the ladder and collapsed on the dock, hands resting limply on his heaving chest as he stared at the blue sky above him.
She was quiet for a moment until, suddenly, her body shook with an inexplicable spasm. Trev sat up, his brows folding together in confusion. Then she spasmed again and again until she obviously couldn’t keep it in, and she doubled over.
“Are youlaughing?”
His question only made it worse. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, trying to hold it in, but the laughter continued to roar out of her. Her face dropped into her hands as she shook her head back and forth. She tried deep breaths, but then she peeked at Trev through her fingers and came completely undone.
He was irritated at first, but the longer Trev watched her shaking form, the harder it became to stay mad. Despite his best efforts, laughter escaped his lips too. It was strange, the two of them sitting in a puddle on the dock, laughing like children. Trev couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed so hard.
It felt good.
Trev gasped through a laugh, “Why...why would you fake drowning?”
“It was meant to be a joke,” she defended.
“For this Mangum person?” Trev cringed. “I feel sorry for the guy.”
Sucking in, she slowed the momentum of her giggles. “You’re right. It’s not funny,” she said. “I’m sorry...for it all.”
Trev was curious. He scooted his body so he could sit on the edge of the dock, swinging his legs over the side. “So who’s this Mangum guy, and why did you get us confused?”
“Well, I wasn’t expecting anyone else.” She rolled over to the edge copying the way he sat. “I’ve been coming to this pond my whole life, and I’ve never seen a single person here. How did you find this place?”
“My friend and I stumbled upon it a year or two ago. I haven’t been back since, but I needed a break today.” He kicked his legs back and forth over the water. “Do you live around here?”
She hesitated.
“What?” He pulled his head back. “It’s not like I’m going to come knocking on your door.”
“I grew up not far from here,” she hedged, her gaze falling to the water below. “What about you?”
“I come and go as I please,” he said mischievously.
She raised her eyebrows, likely curious about his vague answer, so he opted for changing the subject. “What’s your name?”
“Why? Do you keep a record of all the girls you save?”
“Only the pretty ones,” he joked, thinking he would add her name if such a list existed. Shewaspretty. Water dripped down from the top of her forehead and the ends of her blonde hair, making tiny splashes all around her on the dock and prompting Trev to push his hands through his own dripping hair. Her wet clothes accentuated the curves of her body and Trev looked away. She must have noticed his sudden avoidance because she self-consciously pulled at her gray shirt so the damp fabric didn’t cling to her chest.
He tried again. “Are you going to tell me your name? If I did have a list, I’d want you on it.”
“You’re a complete stranger,” she deflected, bestowing a small smile.
Trev raised his hands. “All right, fine. Then I won’t tell you my name either, and we’ll be strangers forever.” He looked her over again. “But at least answer me this. Do you always wear boys’ clothes?” he asked, nodding toward her gray pants.
She laughed. “Haveyouever tried swimming in a dress? It doesn’t work very well.”
“This may surprise you, but I’ve never gone swimming in a dress,” he said, his tone serious.
“Then you have no room to judge.” She smirked.
Trev smiled, wondering why this girl was so easy to talk to.
“You know,” he leaned back against his hands, “there are better ways than pretending to drown to get a man’s attention. I can talk to Mangum for you. Let him know you’re interested.”
“What?”
