“The time you’ve stolen,” I correct with a smile.
His expression becomes solemn. “Would you hate me if I told you I’d do it again just for this chance to sit with you now? To hear each of your contented sighs and see your smiles, all while pretending you’re mine, even though I know you’re not.”
“Alex,” I whisper.
He slows the horse to a stop at the side of the road and turns to me. “Just for today, let’s pretend.”
“Pretend what?” I whisper.
“That there are no boundaries between us—that we’re courting. That you love me, and I love you, and life is happy, peaceful, and easy.”
My breath comes faster, my eyes glossing because I want it. I want it so badly.
“Just for today,” Alex whispers, “we’ll cast our own roles.”
A tear spills down my cheek, and I look away.
“Why are you crying?” he asks gently, taking my chin to turn my face back to him.
Exasperated with myself, I say, “I don’t even know.”
He laughs quietly. “Today is not a day for tears, Sabine. We’re going to bask in the sunshine and leave everything else behind.”
Slowly, I nod.
“All right,” he says in a carefree tone. “Let’s go sailing.”
* * *
My first glimpseof the ocean takes me off guard. We come up over the hill, and there it is, its infinite waters stretching before us. Blue and dark, it churns against rocks jutting from the shore. There’s a misty haze in the distance, and waves crash upon the land, the roar joining the relentless caw of the gulls.
“What do you think?” Alex asks. “Is it what you hoped?”
“I have no words,” I whisper as I take it in. “It’s beautiful.”
“Poor landlocked princess,” he teases. “You’ve missed so much.”
“I have.”
I watch the water, mesmerized as Alex continues toward the small village in the distance. We skirt the shore, staying high on the cliff that rises above. The air is cooler here, pleasantly warm even though it's thick with moisture, and the breeze is refreshing.
“What are those?” I ask, pointing to creatures sunning themselves atop a small rocky island close to the shore.
“Seals.”
“Do they swim?” I ask.
“I hope so, or I have no idea how they’ll get back to shore.”
I laugh, swatting his arm, and Alex grins. “It’s been forever since I’ve been out this way.”
“But the city is so close. If I lived in Davon, I’d spend every summer here.”
He bumps my shoulder. “It’s nice, isn’t it?”
“Mmm,” I agree, wrapping my arm into his, leaning close.
Alex’s muscles tense as if surprised by the sudden contact, and then he softens next to me. He gathers the reins in one hand, freeing his other. His palm meets mine, warm and comforting.
“If we’re pretending, we might as well do it right.” I snuggle closer. “Don’t you think?”