“Of course not, you know that!” Helen said in frustration, shoving him away from her. “I just told you I loved you!”
“That’s why it won’t work,” he said. He took her hands and pulled her closer to him. “If you and I were to be together the way we want, or at least the way I want—” he began uncertainly.
“And what do you want, exactly?” Helen interrupted urgently.
“I want it all. Everything we talked about. I want us to go to school, learn a dozen languages, live all over the world. Most of all, I want us to be together.”
“I do, too!” Helen said excitedly as if she had found a way out. “And we can do all that without ever getting married!”
“We’d share everything,” he said, shaking his head like Helen wasn’t understanding him. “And because of that, we’d be considered a married couple in the eyes of the gods, regardless of who took your virginity. I want a whole life with you, and because I want that, you would be my wife. I can’t even pretend I would settle for less.”
“You’re saying that it’s our commitment to each other that will define us to the gods, not a white dress or a ring?” Helen asked, already knowing the answer.
“Exactly,” he said. Then he suddenly laughed at a thought. “Also, it’d be kinda hard to be together if I was in prison.”
“What are you talking about?” Helen asked, suddenly alarmed. “Why would you go to prison?”
“For killing the guy that took your virginity,” he replied. “You I would forgive. But the guy? Dead man.”
Helen smirked at Lucas like she didn’t believe him, but she wisely decided not to question his sincerity.
“Then what’s the plan?” She sighed, resting back against him. “We can’t be together and we definitely can’t be apart.”
“We stick together and play by the rules until we can rewrite them. We’re going to find a way to make this work. I promise.”
“Isn’t that hubris?” she asked, raising her eyes to his. “Thinking we can beat the Fates?”
“I don’t care what it is anymore. I need to hope,” he responded before he allowed himself to kiss her.
Helen fell against him, and this time she was able to enjoy his mouth without the shock that came along with the unexpectedness of their first kiss. This time she could pay attention to him, feel him responding to her. Far sooner than Helen wanted, Lucas pulled back, pinched his eyes together like it hurt, and gently pushed her hands off of him.
“You have to stop,” he said, forcing himself to laugh, even if it was a shaky, watered-down laugh.
“Sorry. I don’t know what I’m doing yet,” Helen said through her tingling lips.
“Could have fooled me,” he mumbled as he took both of her hands and stood up, pulling her to her feet with him. “I think a little cold air will do us good.”
“Where to? Venice?” Helen asked with a cheeky grin.
“Sure. Because that’s exactly what you and I need—a more romantic setting,” he replied sarcastically. “Sorry, Sparky, but I’m taking you home to your father before I start a war.”
He leapt into the air and spun back to face her, holding out a hand like they were in an old movie and he was asking her to dance. She groaned at how gorgeous he was, then joined him with a smile, taking his hand and rolling her body over the playful eddies he carved into the wind for her.
Moments later, they were landing in Helen’s yard and strolling toward the door, hand in hand. Just as Helen was about to go inside the house, Lucas stopped her.
“You actually thought I didn’t know, didn’t you?” he asked her incredulously. “Happy birthday.”
“I totally forgot!” Helen exclaimed with a bemused smile.
“I didn’t,” he said, kissing her. He looked up at the brightly lit house, and they both listened briefly to an emergency weather report blaring away on the TV. “Your dad’s waiting for you. You’d better go in.”
“Yeah. Kate made me a cake,” Helen said. She grimaced, guilty over how she’d treated her family this past week.
“Tomorrow, first thing, I’ll be back to get you,” Lucas promised as he brushed his mouth lightly against hers. “Then we’ll go to my house and tell my family. Together.”
“Right. We still have to plead our case,” Helen said. Wrapped around each other, they kissed for a few more moments, stalling for time that the storm wouldn’t give