Page 113 of Positively, Penelope

“And... and what about the sea monsters?”

His lips tilted ever so slowly. “I’ll fight them all, if I must.”

The feeling that had been fluttering in and out of the shadows of her heart stepped into the spotlight. Love. She loved Matthias Gray. All her excuses crumbled. Every doubt dissipated. What did she care about sea monsters when there was such a man?

Her very own hero. “No, I think... I think I can handle it, if you’re with me.”

“All the way across.” He gave her hand a little squeeze and then helped her into the boat.

With a quick start of the motor, he took his seat next to her, tugging her close to his side as he steered to the mainland.

She pulled the jacket up so that it covered both of their heads and then she rested her cheek against his shoulder. The closeness helped the raincoat cover more of both of them, or at least that was the excuse she liked best.

The hushing sound of the waves ushered her forward like a gentle applause, as if the world proudly acknowledged her bravery at overcoming her fear and her wisdom at coming to the right conclusion. She’d conquered the boat. And she loved Matthias Gray. Not justliked. Not just wanted to date for a trial period. But . . . loved. For keeps.

She sighed against him. With all the hard stuff about the theater behind them, all she had to do was convince him to fall in love with her and then navigate a long-distance relationship.

A knot lodged in her throat. How hard could that be?

***

What had he just said? She stared at Matthias’s profile as they took the hour drive back home.

“Alec has been the one sharing information with Emblem?”

“All along.” Matthias nodded. “We think he was after the money from the sale, but after speaking with Niles Westing—”

“Speaking?”

“Fine. Threatening.” He cleared his throat, his neck tense. “I discovered Alec was also getting a considerable stipend from Niles with each new bit of information he leaked.”

“And then he vandalized the museum?” Her voice broke, but she caught her emotions before they dipped into hysterical.Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. “Well, the theater is in a good place despite the vandalism, so that’s the most important thing. And we can recreate it if we can get the items back.”

He didn’t respond and her heart dropped.

“And nothing from Alec since?” From the way Matthias described their last phone conversation, paired with her last conversation with him, Alec sounded... troubled.

Matthias fisted the steering wheel, his answer slow in coming. “Grandfather texted me when I arrived in Port Quinnick to say he’d finally gotten a response. He’s safe, but wouldn’t commit to a meeting or divulging any information. He just”—Matthias swallowed so hard she heard it—“wept.”

Wept?A little of her frustration dimmed. She’d seen this type of behavior before in a teen boy she’d taught in one of her acting classes. He’d lashed out in irrational ways for attention or answers or whatever he thought might stop the pain, instead of working through the grief in healthy ways. When he’d finally been confronted with what he needed most, he wept like a baby.

“He needs counseling, Matt.”

“I know.” He shook his head. “It still doesn’t excuse his behavior, but... it makes it more understandable.”

She relaxed back in the seat, heart heavy, and looked out onto the darkening horizon. Wait, what? She leaned closer to the window. Why was it so dark so early? Her gaze dropped to the digital clock in Matthias’s car.

“It’s three thirty?” She looked down at her phone. “But... but my phone says it’s only two. No wonder I missed the tide.”

A growl rose from Matthias. “My brother.”

“What do you mean?”

“Was there any time you left your phone in the car with him?”

She paused, thinking through the morning. “Only when I went into one of the rest areas on the way.” She shook her head. “By the way, Skymarian rest areas are much cuter than ours back in the States. And you can get some shopping done. That’s crazy.”

“Our service stations are fairly nice.” His smile softened when he looked at her but then hardened again as he turned back to the road. “And you left your phone in the car then?”

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