Page 49 of Owned By Two

Perhapsshecould focus on developing new ideas but I knew I could not.

Not with her so close.

Not with her so near.

The natural tugging of the water made my arm graze hers.

But instead of shying back, Lizzy just let her arm caress mine.

I was grateful I lay on my back. Lizzy was focused on the pink ceiling overhead and could not make out my raging hard-on.

My entire body shivered, my scales quivering at the thought of touching her.

“Did he ever think about me?” she asked.

I was surprised by the question. Wasn’t the answer obvious?

“Yes, I think he did. Often.”

“You said he always had ideas in this pool. And he sounds like a very driven kind of person…”

I knew what her question was going to be before she even asked it.

“So why did he not come see me?” she said.

“Because he made a promise to your mother. And if there’s one thing your father prized above all others, it was keeping his word. No matter how much it cost him, no matter how much it hurt to do so, he always followed through.”

Lizzy was silent for a long moment.

I glanced over at her and saw her staring at the sky.

“I suppose… he wasn’t completely without honor, then,” she said.

He had more honor than she knew, and with time, perhaps she would learn of it.

So long as she kept her mind open.

Slop…

I glanced over at the edge of the pool where the origin of the sound had come from.

A trail of dirt fell into the surface from the bank, casting tiny ripples that reached across and touched us.

But there were other, bigger ripples that reached the far end of the pool that reflected back and died before reaching us.

My senses were on high alert.

I shifted position to peer closer at the pool.

Lizzy noticed my change in position and followed my sightline. “What is it?” she asked.

“It’s… probably nothing,” I said, unable to shake the feeling it was important.

Lizzy shifted position too and floated beside me.

We continued watching for a long moment, the tension growing deeper.

I peered up at the tree canopy overhead and took some solace in the fact that all the most dangerous creatures were fast asleep during the daytime.

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