History of Fictitious: Volume Three

Chapter 11

The first thing I see is a pair of long legs and boots. I instantly realize I am sleeping on someone's lap with a blanket over the top of me. Shifting into an upright position, I stare at Shane's resting face as he leans back on the cabin wall next to the barrel I remember sitting on earlier. A lantern has taken my place, and its bright light and the lanterns hanging from the cabin's roof are the only reason Shane isn't a spirit in the darkness of the night. Did I really doze off while he tended to my wounds?

I smile at his hair. It had been nicely parted, but now it is disheveled and spreads like sunbeams around his head. Of course, my hair isn't any better.

Gently, I rest the blanket on top of him and head towards the front of the boat. I pass Gill at the helm, giving him a nod before standing next to Danny, who watches waves lick the boat's side.

"Still have your sea legs, huh?" Danny asks.

"Just a little," I say, staring at the stars above us.

It's hard to tell where the horizon is during the night hours when the sky and sea blend perfectly together. I sigh, and Danny side-eyes me because he knows precisely what I want.

"Alright, out with it already."

I laugh briefly before groaning. "I don't know what to do, Danny."

Danny glances back at the sleeping beast. "About Shane?"

"Yes. I want to help him break the curse, but as I told you—"

"It means committing yourself to him eternally and not just as a good friend?"

I grasp the boat's railing, looking straight into the water. "Right again, but I don't know how I would even do that."

"Marriage would work."

"Argh, but I'm deciding that in less than a week? Beforehand, I still had months, and even then, I said I couldn't promise him anything. And well, he does have these other women fawning over him now, but they're just experiencing infatuation. I doubt the Creator would count that as love, let alone eternal love. Besides, he's made it clear he loves me, so it wouldn't matter if another girl loves him because it has to be mutual."

"So basically, you're saying it is either you who breaks it or no one, but you don't know if you can return his feelings."

"That about sums it up. Hey, you're married now. What made you realize Sasha was the one? And don't say love at first sight."

Danny grins and taps his fingers against the wood. "Well, it was just after Sasha looked for you at the castle. She immediately ran to our house to tell us what happened. I knew she felt guilty for what happened to you, but I never thought she would try to rescue you by herself. That's when I knew because it showed me her kindness, bravery, and accountability. So, little sis, what do you want in a husband?"

"Committed, compassionate, respectful, attractive, good communicator, and I like brave and accountable, too." I rattle off, having thought about it beforehand.

"Okay, and is Shane any of that?"

I frown. "He's always been attractive, but he sure wasn't the rest when we first met, at least not consistently. But now . . ." I glance back at Shane, thinking about how he's changed all on his own.

"You know, I thought he would be an obsessive scumbag when we started searching for you, but he was the most rational out of all of us. He knew what to do and wanted to save you and end the men's operation completely. We were merely thinking about getting you back."

"I'm glad, and that's why this is so difficult. He deserves to be free because he's put in the effort. It seems unfair of the Creator to curse him forever."