Eadlyn Selects

Stars Collide

I finally maneuver the boat to the pond's edge. As royalty, I have been taught that a lady never sweats, but rather, she perspires. Right now, I'm straight up sweating. I mean, an actual droplet drips into my eye and stings. That has never happened to me before. I would complain but I have a feeling Gunner would make me more ashamed than I already am.

He's been mumbling phrases that are not comprehensible to a lady's ears.

Julian is waiting for me with a sympathetic look on his face. He has set a plank on a rock to provide me with a way to exit the boat.

I'm thrilled. I tear off my life vest and offer a flip wave of goodbye to Gunner. Then I take Julian's hand and allow him to help me out of the boat in a gentlemanly fashion. When I am on dry –well, muddy—land, I turn back and smile smugly at Gunner. His face is splotchy red and I can hear him gritting his teeth.

"Your Highness?" Julian politely leads me away from my staring match. With effort, I try to center my thoughts on this new boy and this new date. How on earth did my father do this in his Selection?

"Your turn!" I say to Julian with a smile. He blushes. It's adorable. His face is appealing, long and angular with wide set eyes. I thank him for the makeshift ramp.

"I thought you'd like a more independent way to dismount," he says, and then shrugs. "I hope you don't want to go back out. I'm not a boat person. Sorry."

"Oh! Not at all." I splay out my palms. Shiny red bumps are already swelling right at the juncture where my fingers meet my palm. "I think my rowing days are over."

Julian bites his lip. "Shall we take you to the infirmary?"

My heart does a little flip. Kile is still in the infirmary. Maybe—

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Gunner stomping up the path toward the castle. Guilt wars with my giddy desire to see Kile. I didn't really give Gunner a chance. Whether he deserves it or not isn't really my decision. I won't do that to Julian.

"I'm okay. I'll see to them later. For now, I want to be with you, Julian." I look him in the eyes. His are a pale shade of hazel. "If you're not a boat person, what kind of person are you?"

He answers without hesitation, something I find appealing.

"More of a horse person."

I beam. "Shall we stroll and talk horses?"

Julian offers me his hand and I gingerly take it. He is careful with my palm, and I quickly warm to his kindness.

I marvel at how many men I have held hands with in the past month. Each one is different: bigger, warmer, drier, twitchier. Julian is a middle ground but his easy chatter is top notch. It soothes my temper, which I gave into with Gunner.

I ask Julian about the farm he lives on and the horses his family breeds. He is animated, and we walk along the edge of the lake making lively conversation. I tell him about my horse, my riding lessons, and which countries we prefer to buy from.

I pause under a weeping willow so we have a bit of privacy and catch my breath, motioning for him to sit down. He takes off his jacket and lets me sit on it, for which I thank him.

"Long morning?" he asks.

I nod. "You wouldn't believe it."

"And now you have two dates and the rest of the evening to work. How do you do it? I'd die if I had to be cooped up inside an office all day. I am used to fresh air all day on the farm, working with my hands. I love it." He has a wistful expression in his eyes. I know he didn't mean to eliminate himself from the Selection but that is exactly what he just did.