For some reason, Ethan felt the need to pace the front yard while he waited for the young couple to return from their search for the perfect location. Curiosity was getting the better of him, and he had to know how the whole thing was going. When he saw Dani come back to the house alone, he was more than a little surprised.
“Solo?” he asked, going to greet her at the beginning of the drive. She sure looked happy. In fact, she was practically glowing. Dani had the largest smile on her face, and her eyes glittered in the fading sunlight.
Dani nodded and gazed up at him, her smile getting even wider. Something he didn't think would even be possible. “Solo. We have a lot to think about.”
“Too many options? Couldn't find the best spot?”
“In the end it didn't matter much. Come on, let's go into the town and take a walk. I want to talk to you.” She grabbed his hand, and he could see her hesitate for a moment before her fingers wrapped around his.
He frowned. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No, but it is important,” she said.
“Okay, what's up?” He glanced down at her and noticed the smile wasn't going away. Was it that great of a kiss?
Dani looked up at him, opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. “I'm having a hard time thinking of how to say it. Still trying to figure out if it's even real to begin with.” She closed her eyes. “Tyson and I are going to get out of our arrangement.”
“What? Why?” Those were not the words Ethan had been expecting her to say at all.
“Because we don't want to, so why should we? It's a mutual decision, and we gave it a shot, but it seems stupid, don't you think? Especially if there's no real reason to go through with it?” She opened her eyes, and their gazes met.
“Just political repercussions,” he pointed out.
She shrugged. “I have a feeling we'll be able to work around them. But this can't happen. Tyson and I won't be good as husband and wife. Maybe it's all of the pressure. In another lifetime we'd meet and court normally. There wouldn't be all of this stress involved with an arranged marriage. And maybe in that other lifetime there wouldn't be someone else taking all of our attention.”
“He's going to go propose to Maya, isn't he?” Ethan asked. “What happened between them? Is it worse than what he's implied?”
“They just kissed. I don't know what he's going to do. Besides, I wasn't talking about Tyson and her.” She squeezed Ethan's hand. “He's not the only one who's looking elsewhere.”
Ethan laughed to hide his surprise. But he'd never thought of Dani as the type to have wandering eyes. Weren't the Inero raised to uphold their traditions? It was common for an Inero to drop their spouse, but not before the marriage even happened. There were rules that had to be obeyed. Did they mean nothing to her? The better question was: why did his heart beat faster? It was almost like it was working on overtime even though he hadn't done anything physically exhausting. It wasn't affecting his overall health. His breathing was a little constricted from the tightening in his chest, but he didn't feel dizzy or concerned. Only confused.
“Find a hot island boy?” he asked, trying to keep the whole thing light to hide what he was actually feeling—whatever that was. Happiness? Jealousy? Anger? He couldn't quite pin the emotion. Maybe a combination of the three. Having her stand up for what she believed in made him happy, but what did this mean for her relationship with him? Did she feel the same way? Or was there really someone else he didn't know about?
Dani scrunched up her nose. “You smell like sour grapes.”
“New cologne,” he mumbled.
“Right.” She rolled her eyes. “I'm not stupid. I know what that smell is, Ethan, and you don't need to be so upset. He's not a hot island boy. He's from the city actually. In fact, he's not even from Inero.”
Brad? Is Dani the girl he's been sneaking around seeing? “Anyone I know?”
“I hear you two are close. Practically the same person, actually,” she said, and folded her arms in front of her, looking up at him. “His name starts with an E and rhymes with… look, do I have to spell it out? Because I can if I have to, but why would you think I'd be interested in anyone else?”
“Why would you be interested in me?” he asked, confused. The whole thing blindsided him. Dani wanted to be with him? There was definitely chemistry between the two of them, but that was normal with best friends, right? No, if it was normal, then Tyson and she wouldn't have felt the need to break off their engagement. What you feel for her isn't normal friend feelings. They can't be, or you'd feel them for everyone else too.
Dani laughed. “I can't believe you're asking me that. Why wouldn't I be? You're smart, funny, and… well, you're nice on the eyes. Look, I'm obviously butchering this whole confession thing, so let me try saying it again in a different way. I think I'm in love with you. Tyson noticed it. Everyone has pretty much noticed it, I think, except for you. So I am telling you straight out that I am.” Her gaze met his again, and he noticed the tears in her eyes. “And the scowl you're giving me is making me wonder if I just risked everything for nothing.”
“I'm confused, shocked, and trying to figure out how to process this,” he said honestly. Stop thinking and just say what you feel before you can talk yourself out of it. “All our lives we've been close. I mean, we share the same birthday and hatch day, there isn't a time when you haven't been there for me when I needed you. You're my beautiful best friend, but up until now you've always been off limits. I never let myself indulge in any hypothetical feelings, so I don't know how to respond to this.” He watched her deflate where she stood, and before she could say anything, he continued.
“This is what I know… about how I feel. And this is just me word-vomiting my guts here, because if I break my stream of consciousness, I'm probably not going to say everything I need to. When I come out here to see you, or know you're coming to visit me, it's like the highlight of my year. The world feels a lot less lonely, and I love that we can talk and be and fit together so well. I've never been all too in touch with my emotions, because I taught myself to shut them off a long time ago. Right when I started to notice how gorgeous you are.
“Is it love? I don't know. But I can say that when you and Tyson left, I knew he would make a move on you, and it drove me up a wall waiting for you. And when I saw you come back alone? All I felt was relief.”
A weight lifted off of Ethan's shoulders that he hadn't even realized was there. How long had he been pushing those feelings aside?
Dani's eyes never left his face, and the smile returned. “So you feel something?”
“Something, yes. But where do we go from here? Run off and get married?”
She laughed and shook her head. “We're free to do whatever we want.”
Freedom to choose, something his father had wanted Ethan to believe he had, but they both knew he didn't. Deep down, he'd always wanted to choose her but knew he never could. Not until now at least. But what about Maya? What about tradition? What would it be like to just follow my gut? Stop thinking. He closed his eyes and leaned in, kissing her lips. Hopefully he'd do it right.
Unlike when Maya had kissed him, there wasn't a pull on his magic. Yet there was a new kind of spark, and it came from inside his gut. When he'd locked lips with Maya, he'd felt nothing but confusion and disgust. Kissing Dani, on the other hand, was enticing. It felt a lot like how he had always imagined a kiss was supposed to feel. There was tenderness and excitement. Her soft lips were inviting and left him wanting more.
He sighed before pulling away from her. “That's an unexpected surprise.”
“It's what I'd hoped to feel,” she whispered. “From here, we have to make sure everyone understands what's happening. About Tyson, I mean, and then we can work on exploring our feelings.”
“Sounds about as good of a plan as any. I’ll talk with my parents too. They should know what's going on just as much as anyone else,” he said.
“I'm not sure who I should tell fir
st. My parents or Lord Bolton.”
Ethan held one of her hands in both of his. “You'll want their support when you tell him. In fact, I'm pretty sure you'll need it. The guy sounds a little unbalanced.”
She leaned up and kissed his cheek. “You're right. This feels too surreal!”
He laughed. “Tell me about it. What a crazy birthday vacation.” He almost asked her to pinch him, but he didn't want to risk waking up.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Telling her parents wasn't going to be easy. Dani knew she had to go about it a certain way or they might not accept it. Which meant she had to start with her father and have him help be a buffer for her mom. Chances were he would understand it a lot more easily than she would. He had a tendency to listen better. Her mom liked to get hung up on the wrong details. She wouldn't understand why Dani didn't want to marry Tyson. Too often the young couple's relationship was compared to that of Dani's parents. Two childhood best friends who eventually found love. It would be Dani's story, just not with Tyson.
Late, when all of her brothers were asleep, her mother was getting ready for bed herself, and all of the house guests were occupied, Dani went to find her father. He was in his office, painting a ceramic figurine he had made. Later it would no doubt be fired in a kiln. A hobby he'd picked up while exiled. It gave him something to do, and every so often he would sell his art in town.
“Yes, dear?” he asked, and put his brush down, smiling at her.
Dani moved behind him and hugged him around his neck. “So I have some big news for you.” She didn't know how else to bring it up. Hopefully if she tried to make it sound exciting and interesting, he'd share in her happiness instead of lecture her.
He sniffed her. “You're not pregnant, and I'm all out of other guesses.”
“I hope you're just joking there. Honestly, pregnant? Do you think I'm some kind of a hussy,” she teased, and kissed his cheek. “Tyson and I are calling things off.”
His body stiffened for a moment. “You're sure this is something you want to do? Have you guys thought about it? Really thought about it?”
“Yes, we have. And I'm going to need your help when telling Lord Bolton and Lord Oliver.”
“Your grandfather is going to understand, Dani, and you should know he would never force you into something you believed strongly against. He loves you. His main goal right now is to see you in a good relationship and probably use it as an example of the great things one can accomplish in it. But he might not understand why you feel you can't have one of those with someone who is your friend.”
“Daddy, we tried to be romantic, and it was disgusting. I don't think I could have his children if I feel like that,” she said, and kept her firm gaze on him. Hard to do because he frowned with a rather deep and furrowed brow. “We only kissed,” she added.
His jaw clenched for a moment, and then he relaxed. “It's better you find out now if you're compatible in that sense… I guess. Be even worse if you'd said your vows and then couldn't go through with the whole thing. It's kind of one of the key purposes of marriage, especially yours.”
“What is?” she asked.
“Children.”
“Why would having children be the key purpose to my wedding?” Dani asked. This was new to her. Being married usually equated to kids, and lots of them when it came to dragons, but why would anyone care about whether or not she had a lot of them?
Her father laughed. “I like that you're in the dark. You two already have a lot of pressure on you, or you did, I should say. I'm sure if you think about it enough, you'll figure it out. Remember, you're the only female dragon to ever exist. That could translate into a lot of potentially amazing things. But if you and Tyson aren't going to get married, then I guess it's a moot point. So you two not being attracted to one another is the actual reason you decided to cancel? No other factors?”
“Yes, that was the biggest reason. We both tried hard to pretend, but it wasn't working too well. Although…” She bit her lip, unsure if she should continue. What would her father think of her, if he knew about her crush on Ethan? Then again, he was her father. He wouldn't judge her, would he?
“Hmm?” he asked, and pushed his chair out some so she could sit on his lap. Something she hadn't done in years, it seemed, and while it could have been considered childish, her time with him would be ending. Being an adult meant moving away from home. She might not see him as much, depending on where she went to live.
If Ethan and I get married, would I live in Oceina? Or would he come here? I can't believe I’m entertaining the thought without guilt. She snuggled into her father and let out a deep breath.
“I am attracted to my other best friend,” she said.
He laughed. “I noticed a long time ago.”
“I figured you did. Everyone seems to have known but him.”
“He knew, he just ignored it. Why else do you think he kept pushing you away whenever you tried to do anything affectionate? I mean, it's a hug. It shouldn't have been a huge deal.”
“No, it shouldn't have.” She giggled. “I never thought of it like that.”
Her father fixed her hair. “You got big so fast, and now you're getting ready to become a woman. I probably shouldn't be encouraging this, but you need to listen to your gut here. My stance is the same as your grandfather's will be: I'm not going to force you into doing something you don't want to do. In a lot of ways, I wish the whole thing had never happened to begin with, and it broke my heart to hear that it was still going to come to pass. But it's not my decision, unfortunately. Lord Taylor must have had his reasons for keeping it strong despite everything, and I'm hoping it's because he believed it was what was best for you and Tyson. In fact, I'm certain all he wanted was to keep a positive bridge between our people. Seeing you two be so close gives everyone hope.”
“Lord Bolton said I had to marry another dragon,” she said. “I'm not sure he cares about our best interests the way Lord Taylor did. From what I remember at least.”
“I can almost guarantee he doesn't,” he said, and kissed her forehead. “You have my support. Whether you want to pursue Ethan or be single for a while, you know you have my support.”
“Even if it might be wrong?” she asked.
He smirked. “You know who I am, right? I'm the expert of getting things wrong. But for what it's worth? This is the first thing I've been wrong about that's felt good in my heart. In the end? I love you. And that's the most important thing of all.”
“I love you too, Daddy. You'll come with me when we tell Lord Bolton, right?”
“Yes, I'll come with you if I'm able. And you need to tell him soon. But I do recommend you send Ethan and Maya home first.”
Dani frowned. “Why?” She didn't want Ethan to go. She'd need his support more than anything.
With a sigh, her father leaned back in his chair. “Because it'll look bad, and they don't need to be caught in this. Besides, I think some space might be good for you all. It'll give you a chance to cool your emotions, let the situation deflate, and then allow for you to start your new journey with a level head. The last thing you need to do is act rashly.”
“He said he wasn't sure how he felt or if he wanted to get married right now anyway, so I don't think you have anything to worry about there,” she said.
“I still think it'd be a good idea.”
“Okay, I'll let him know,” she mumbled. Everything her father told her made sense. She just wished she had the chance to enjoy whatever was going on with her and Ethan before he had to go away again.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Saying goodbye was hard. Ethan wasn't quite ready to leave yet, but he understood the logic behind it. He had to talk with his parents, more specifically his father. Being the Great Lord of the Oceina, his support and political pull would be important to what would happen next… whatever that was. Ethan wasn't sure what was going on, or how to help.
Leaving Dani during such a crucial moment in their relationshi
p didn't sit well with him. Absence is supposed to make the heart grow fonder. I hope it's true. Like every other time he'd left the island, left her, he found himself counting the time it would be until he could call her up and let her know he'd returned safely. It would take longer than usual, because first he had to take Maya back home.
Brad landed outside of Sanctuary. “I'm taking off again in about thirty minutes. Try not to take too long.”
In reality, there was no rush to get home, but Brad understood Ethan's need to get back. Prior to departure, the two had talked about their travel plan. One point Ethan had made sure to drive home was to not let Maya confiscate his time and suck him into staying at her place longer than he should.
Ethan decided to be a gentleman and escort Maya back to the palace. They walked in, and while she tried to be quiet about it, he made sure to make as much noise as possible by stomping his feet and slamming the door. Her parents came out to greet them.
“We didn't realize you'd be back this early,” her mother said. “I thought you'd come back later tonight.”
Maya went to hug her parents. “There are things to do right away, I guess.”
“What things?” her father asked.
“I'm not sure. But it's okay. We'll be back soon for the wedding, and we'll all get to go. You can see for yourself what a great place the island is for me,” Maya said with a huge smile. “The ride back made me a little tired though, so I'm going to head up to my room. Ethan, care to escort me?”
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