Arteline

VI

As Easley continued to struggle with the fish, Arteline tried to help. She stepped forward to take a hold of the rod, but in her eagerness, she accidentally caught her foot on a loose pebble. With a small yelp, she stumbled and fell sideways, pulling Easley along with her. They both landed with a splash in the cold, clear water of the river.

The shock of the cold water made them both gasp, their bodies quickly soaked and dripping. Arteline spluttered, sitting up in the shallow part of the river, bewildered. Easley sat up next to her, looking equally surprised and a little bit embarrassed.

At first, there was a moment of shocked silence, but then the ridiculousness of the situation dawned on them both. Arteline found herself laughing, the sound bubbling up from her chest. Easley joined in, his deep chuckle mixing with the sound of the river and the rustling of the trees.

As they laughed together, Arteline felt a strange sort of comfort. Being here, in this moment, with Easley, drenched and shivering from the cold river water... it felt right. She looked at him, taking in the sight of his wet hair sticking to his forehead, the droplets of water running down his face, the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled.

As their laughter subsided, Easley found himself staring at Arteline. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time - her wet hair clinging to her face, her clothes clinging to her body, her sparkling eyes looking back at him. A sudden wave of feelings washed over him, and the words that had been on the tip of his tongue for days now finally broke free.

"I...I've been trying to say this all this time," Easley said, his voice low and shaky. He swallowed, gathering his courage. "Arteline, I..." he began, his eyes locked on hers, "I think...no, I know...I'm falling in love with you."

Arteline froze, her eyes widening in surprise. Did he just say... ? She had to have misheard. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She just stared at him, her heart pounding in her chest.

Easley seemed to take her silent reaction as a rejection, and he quickly looked down, a shadow falling over his face. "Say something," he said quietly, his voice wavering. "Please, say something."

Arteline's mind was spinning. How could she even process what he'd just said? The words were still echoing in her mind, making her heart race even faster. She struggled to find the right words, to express the tangled feelings and thoughts swirling inside her. "I...I..." she began, her voice barely above a whisper.

Easley looked at her, his eyes searching hers for any sign of understanding or acknowledgment. "You don't...you don't feel the same, do you?" he asked, his voice tinged with vulnerability. "I know I shouldn't have said anything, but...I just couldn't keep it in anymore. These feelings, they're...they're too strong. I-"

"I do," Arteline blurted out, cutting him off before he could say more. "I do feel the same." The words came out in a rush, the sudden need to confirm her feelings, to make sure he *knew* overcoming her initial shock.

Easley stared at her, dumbfounded for a moment. He obviously hadn't expected her to respond like that. "You...you do?" he asked, a mixture of disbelief and hope in his voice. "Are you... you're not just saying that because you pity me, are you?"

Arteline shook her head vigorously. "No, no, of course not," she said vehemently. "I...I've been feeling something for you for a while now, I just...I didn't know how to deal with it. I thought you didn't feel the same way, I-"

The tension between them was interrupted as the fish, which they had both completely forgotten about, gave a particularly powerful tug on the line, startling them both. Arteline let out a small squeak of surprise, and they both turned their attention back to the rod, which was now being pulled out of Easley's hands by the feisty fish.