Before my sword connects, my foot slips out from beneath me and I find myself flying through the air toward Rye. My sword falls to the ground with a loud clatter and I connect with Rye bodily. He stumbles backwards, caught wrong-footed as he tries to break my fall.
We both fall to the mat. I can’t stop myself from laughing at the clumsiness of it all. The laugh dies in my throat when I realize I am top of Rye, my lips only inches from his. I swallow hard, looking down into his eyes. His hands are on my waist, his eyes inviting me closer. I’m moving my head toward his when the door of the training room slams open and the moment is broken.
I jump to my feet and clear my throat awkwardly. Rye gets up and stands beside me. I remember his unguarded rib cage.
“If I hadn’t slipped, I would have had you,” I say.
“Dream on, Wonder Woman.” He grins.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Jinx says from the doorway.
“Rye? Your date is here.”
Jinx leaves before either of us can respond. I feel as though my heart has been ripped out of my chest.
Rye has a date?
It all makes sense now. That’s why he’s been telling me we can’t be together because of some godly rule. It’s really because he doesn’t feel that way about me and he’s letting me down gently. I wish he could have just been honest with me.
Something else clicks into place and some of the pain is replaced by anger. I turn to Rye, anger flashing across my face.
“Seriously, Rye? You’re putting off the search for the dagger because you have a damn date?” I demand.
“What? No,” he says quickly. “I’m putting off the search for the dagger so you have at least two training sessions before we throw you into the path of danger. It’s not even close to enough, but it’s better than nothing.”
“Bullshit,” I say, although I have to admit he sounds like he’s telling the truth.
And his explanation is perfectly logical. It’s my reaction to it that’s illogical. He made it quite clear nothing can ever happen between us, yet I guess I clung to the hope that somehow, he would change his mind. Him having a date is the final proof that he’s just not that into me.
The pain in my heart is back. It slams in my chest, making each breath feel like hard work. My stomach knots up tightly. I try my best to hide it, but I can see the way Rye is looking at me. He’s giving me that look of concern.
False concern?
No, maybe not. I don’t think he specifically wants to hurt me. He’s just getting on with his life. This is my issue, not his.
“Look, it’s not like it’s a date date,” Rye says. “It’s just a movie or something. It doesn’t mean anything.”
I try to think of some witty comeback, but nothing comes to mind and I stand there staring at Rye like an idiot, knowing the hurt is written all over my face and not able to pull it back. It doesn’t help that his voice is kind, gentle. It sounds almost like this is hurting him too. Maybe I was wrong about him lying to me. Maybe this whole curse thing is real and he does like me. The curse has to be real. The rest of the team wouldn’t have reacted so ominously to the idea of Rye and I being together if there was no curse.
“Sailor, listen to me. Only bad things can happen if we get together, you know that. And this way it shows them nothing is happening between us.”
“So, you’re taking one for the team? Going on a date to save us both. Yeah that sounds like a true sacrifice, Rye. You’re a regular hero.”
He sighs.
“I’m just trying to look out for you,” he says.
His tone is soft and his eyes beg me to understand, but I don’t understand. It’s obvious he feels something for me. And yeah, I get that death is too high a price to pay for a kiss or two, but there has to be a way. And he’s not even willing to look for it. I don’t understand how he can look at me that way, how just moments ago we were so close to kissing, and then I find out he’s about to go off on a date with some other girl.
“I can look out for myself,” I snap.
“Really? Because from what I saw back there, you aren’t even close to being able to look out for yourself,” Rye says with a smirk.
If he thinks he can worm his way out of this thing by teasing me, then he really doesn’t know me at all. His grin fades and he reaches out to stroke my face. I bat his hand away angrily and back up a few steps.
“Are you serious?” I demand, shaking my head. “I’m not your little lapdog, Rye. I won’t sit here waiting around for you while you’re off with some skank.”
“I didn’t make the rules, Sailor,” he says gently.
“I know that. But maybe you’re a little too good at following them,” I say.
I turn and walk away from him. I’ve heard enough. If he comes after me, I’m going to lose my shit. But at the same time, I want nothing more than for him to come after me. I want him to take me into his arms and tell me he’s sorry and that we’ll find a way.
He doesn’t. I walk back to the cabin alone, although I can feel Rye’s eyes on me
