Reece realized he was staring, and he cleared his throat and shifted, as she looked back, waiting. She was expressionless, maybe slightly amused. She was not making this easy on him.
“I…um…I,” Reece began, stopping and starting, looking down, then up, “I have come to check on you.”
She burst out laughing.
“To check on me?” she asked quizzically.
Reece reddened.
“I meant…um…to check on me.”
She laughed harder.
“What!?” she asked. “You have come here to check on yourself?”
“I meant…um…,” he said, reddening, “for you to check on me. I mean—on my wound.”
She looked at him, her eyes aglow with laughter, and smiled from ear to ear. He felt like an idiot. He had already messed things up.
“Have you?” she asked skeptically, clearly not buying it. “And why would you do that? I told you yesterday that your wound was healed.”
Reece reddened even further, toeing the dirt, looking down, not sure what to say. His entire life, being at the center of King’s Court, he had encountered thousands of people, and had felt comfortable speaking to anyone. Girls had always sought him out, and he had always had to deter their advances—and he had never felt nervous before. He was not used to pursuing girls. And this one was different. There was something about her that kept him off-balance.
“I um…I…guess…well, it was hurting a bit,” he said, not knowing what else to say.
She smiled, clearly not buying it.
“A bit?” she asked. “Well, if your wound was infected, it would hurt a lot. And it’s healing, so a little bit of pain is normal. Aren’t you a big strong warrior of the Legion?” she asked with a laugh.
Reece was flustered, not imagining it would go this way.
He turned to go, embarrassed, when suddenly she stepped out and laid two hands on his arm. She held up his arm and examined it with a professional eye, studying the wound. She ran a hand along it, then rolled back his sleeve.
Despite everything, the feel of her hand on his arm electrified him. It made it hard for him to think clearly.
“Your wound is just fine,” she said. “I am proud of my handiwork, in fact.”
“I came here to thank you,” Reece said softly. “For saving my life.”
“I thought you came because your wound hurt?” she asked, smiling, her eyes twinkling, clearly enjoying this.
Reece flushed.
“I didn’t save your life,” she added, finally rescuing him. “Your friends did. They got you here quickly. If they had waited any longer, nothing would have saved you.”
Reece nodded back, not knowing what else to say. He was stumped—and was impressed by her humility.
“So was there something else you wanted?” she asked, still smiling.
She was not going to make this easy on him. He looked into her eyes, playful, intelligent, and he felt that she was too smart for him. She saw right through him, and she had from the second he walked up to her door. She clearly wanted him to say what was on his mind, and would not let him off the hook until he did.
“Well…um,” he said, swallowing. This was not easy. He did not remember it being this difficult to speak to girls before.
“I suppose there was something else,” he said. “I guess…I am wondering…what you think of me? I mean…of us?”
“Of us?” she asked, laughing.
Reece reddened. He just could not get his bearings around her.
“I mean—I guess—I was wondering—if—do—you have a boyfriend?”
Reece finally got it out, feeling relieved that he did. He hadn’t felt this anxious in years. He had rather be back fighting that Forsyth than putting himself through this torture.
But now that it was out there, he looked up and met her eyes—now the ball was in her court. Now it was her turn to be flustered.
Selese blinked several times and looked away, then looked down and fidgeted with her hands.
“And what business is that of yours?” she asked.
“I mean you no offense, my lady,” he said. “I was just wondering—”
“I do not have a boyfriend,” she said.
Reece looked at her with renewed hope. But she still looked back at him proudly, standoffish.
“Nor do I wish to have one,” she added.
He looked back, puzzled.
“And why is that?” he asked.
“Because I’ve not found a man suitable for me in this village.”
“And what about from outside your village?”
“Travelers rarely pass through here. And when they do, I am too busy with my healing arts.”
“Well…I am passing through here,” Reece said.
She looked into his eyes, smiling.
“And?” she said.
Reece looked back, flustered. Why was she making this so hard? Was