A/N: Two chapters in two days...?! Some of you may ponder, "Is she crazy?" No, actually, I've just had a lot of time on my hands the last few days. Time management and organization at my adult job does, indeed, pay off! haha. Which has allotted me a lot more time to dedicate to my stories!

Also, I felt bad for only giving you all a filler chapter (a personal pet peeve of mine as a reader of fanfiction myself lol).

So, this chapter takes place in the past (remember how I mentioned that this story may jump from the present to the past a bit?); it takes place a few months after chapter 5.

I hope you enjoy! I had so much fun writing/editing it.

Feedback is always appreciated!

Until the next chapter,

-Dev

P.S. Chapter 10 will be posted on 4/26/24.

"Love is a game that two people can play and both win."
—Eva Gabor

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.:Serenity:.

One year earlier...

The air in Saharia was thick and dry, the sun so bright it was almost blinding. Sunlight tumbled across the rolling hills of sand that seemed to stretch endlessly save for the occasional flowering cacti. The air practically hummed with an energy I was told was magic; so present it seemed to surround me, an invisible but constant part of the scenery so that the land seeped with it, as if the magic itself was alive.

I leaned against the sandstone windowsill, searching the landscape for any sign of Endymion at this royal event. It would be the first time I'd seen him since we'd become a couple nearly four months ago. We'd never even had an opportunity to meet at the Borderlands Library; we'd arranged a meeting two months ago, only for my parents to forbid it due to there being too many enemy sightings in that area. Once again our only exchanges had been through letters, ones far more precious than they'd been before. I occupied the time between letters rereading his old ones over and over again, but as dear as his messages were, nothing compared to seeing him in person and finally emerging in a proper courtship, even though it felt more impossible with each passing day.

At last an opportunity to meet had finally presented itself when I received an invitation from the royal family of Saharia to come for a diplomatic visit, an invitation I understood had been extended to other royals. I immediately sent Endymion a message containing a single sentence: 'Will you be there?"

His response followed a few days later: 'Yes.'

With that single word, my hope renewed and I began to eagerly count down the days until my departure. The thought of a week filled with tedious meetings with other royals from the nine kingdoms that would normally have filled me with dread was eclipsed by the anticipation of seeing Endymion again. My hopes swelled that we could finally begin a proper—albeit secret—courtship, free from Mina's attentive guarding considering she was currently undergoing additional training; her replacement, Bromley, was much more willing to give me the space I desired than she ever had.

But Endymion had yet to arrive. The longer his absence stretched the more agitated I became. Had he changed his mind about coming? Had something delayed his journey? What if something terrible had befallen him?

"Good afternoon, Princess Serenity."

For a fleeting moment I thought it was Endymion speaking, except the voice was unfamiliar. I turned to face Prince Cassim, the younger brother of the elusive and mysterious sultan who ruled the desert land. Though the prince and I had been properly introduced we'd never had a real conversation, and despite the distraction that one would provide, I felt far too uneasy to welcome his company.

But protocol dictated for me to return the greeting. "Prince Cassim." I curtsied in response to his bow.

A warm grin spread across his olive skin, lightning up his cheerful brown eyes. "How are you liking Saharia?"

I managed a polite smile. "I find it pleasant, Your Highness. Though it is quite hot." I couldn't resist fanning myself with my hand, but did little to dispel the dry air. I stilled when I remembered a gesture would be considered impolite.

Prince Cassim chuckled. "The heat is difficult to get used to, but I love it. Our climate provides so much sunshine, as well as unique beauty that can't be found in any of the surrounding kingdoms." Fondness softened his gaze as he observed the scenery through the open window. I followed his gaze, taking in the vibrant colors of the beautiful cacti flowers growing amongst the rolling sand.

"It is rather—" My breath caught, swallowing the remainder of my words when a footman announced the arrival of him. I swiveled to face the double doors just as Endymion had entered.

My heart swelled as I stared at him, feeling as if I'd been granted water after an endless sojourn in the desert. Prince Cassim followed my line of sight and narrowed his eyes at Endymion, who was currently being greeted by Sultan Razoul. "So, the infamous Crown Prince of Elysion has accepted our humble invitation after all. When he was delayed arriving I admittedly wondered... Well, perhaps his late arrival is a snub to us."

"Your Highness, he wouldn't—" I bit my lip to silence my defense, remembering just in time I was in no place to give it. For while Endymion's arrival had quenched my fierce need to see him, it had also forced us to begin the game we'd agreed to play: pretending to be the enemies we were expected to be.

Unfortunately, Prince Cassim noticed my slip of the tongue. Confusion colored his tone as his attention returned to me. "Are you acquainted with the crown prince, Princess? I've heard whispers that your kingdoms are still engaged in a feud now several centuries old."

I was too distracted by Endymion's presence to even respond, my gaze riveted to his every movement. He was even more handsome than I remembered, yet thanks to our separation now I knew him by his words more than his looks, and what sweet words they were, ones that not only shared the innermost parts of his soul so that I felt I knew him almost better than I knew myself, but which lifted me in return. When I looked at him I saw our letters, our friendship, and the love we'd forged despite all odds far more than his appearance. Though, admittedly, I did notice his handsome features and wasn't at all averse to appreciating them.

My hand instinctively went to my hair to check my own appearance and I nearly groaned at how unkempt and damp it felt, the heat having caused several wisps to fall from my secured buns to frame my face haphazardly. This was not how I wanted to greet Endymion after all the time we'd spent apart.

"Are the rumors true?"

I reluctantly broke my gaze away from Endymion to face Prince Cassim. "Rumors?"

"About you and Prince Endymion hating each other."

The words soured my stomach. I ached to deny them, but doing so would go against the role I was currently forced to play. "...Yes," I managed in a near whisper.

Prince Cassim nodded, his expression grave. "I thought so. He is said to be as cold as his father, King Eldas."

I clenched my jaw to keep back the defense I ached to give. It was torture remaining silent. I didn't understand how such rumors about him could have begun. One only had to spend a few minutes in Endymion's presence to see that his warmth and charm were the opposite of the infamous King of Elysion in every way that mattered.

"I've heard no rumors on that account." It was the best I could do.

Endymion finally concluded his greeting with the sultan and immediately scanned the room, searching with subtle yet adorable eagerness. Adoration softened his gaze as it met mine, and in that moment I felt the burden of our difficult separation finally lift.

He wasted no time in approaching with long, hasty strides, but his steps faltered when Prince Cassim stepped protectively in front of me. "I'm compelled to remind you that this is a diplomatic visit and that respect will be paid to everyone, regardless of any negative feelings that may, or may not, exist in your personal relationships beyond these walls." His tone was one of warning.

"Such a warning is unnecessary; Elysion is honorable, even towards a kingdom that has done little deserve it." He turned to me to perform the stiffest bow, so opposite to the friendly warmth I'd come to expect from him. "Princess Serenity."

"Prince Endymion." I curtsied, my movements just as rigid and formal as his. The charade had barely begun and already I loathed it.

The conversation that followed was stiff and uncomfortable as we were forced to pretend the other didn't exist. Yet though Endymion's expression remained indifferent throughout the discussion with Prince Cassim about Saharia's trade relations, his eyes told an entirely different story.

Try as he seemed to keep his gaze averted, his attention frequently wandered to linger on the wisps of hair that had escaped my hairstyle to cling to my damp skin, his look searing, as if he'd never seen a more lovely sight. Each look we exchanged filled me with a warmth that caused my earlier insecurities to fade away.

Prince Cassim eventually excused himself from the conversation to greet Prince Daedric, finally ending my agony. But even when we were left with some semblance of privacy, tucked away in our somewhat secluded corner away from the other royals, we didn't immediately speak.

Midst the excitement of finally seeing Endymion again came a wave of unexpected shyness, a strange thing to feel with a man I care so very deeply for. Yet, our relationship remained so new and unexplored. How could we properly continue where we'd left off when our unwanted audience expected us to behave the opposite of how we truly felt?

We tentatively glanced at one another simultaneously, our gazes meeting. Endymion offered me a smile, a little nervous but still oh, so sweet. "Hello, Serenity."

Those two words along soothed the lingering pain of our separation. I returned his smile with one of my own. "Hello."

Even after our shy greeting we didn't speak. We shifted nervously from foot to foot, alternating between catching one another's gazes and looking away. Each time our eyes met we exchanged small, secretive smiles. There were so many things I longed to say, but now that the moment had finally come, I'd suddenly run out of words.

He broke the uneasy silence first. "How were your travels?" Rather than the warmth I'd come to expect from him, his tone was overly polite.

I stared. "You're inquiring after my travels?" Was that really the first thing he wanted to ask me after so long apart?

Endymion groaned. "You're right. As pleasant as I hope your journey was, that isn't the first thing I care to know about compared to so many other things." He released a whooshing breath. "What am I doing? We finally have the opportunity I've been longing for for months, and yet I'm fumbling it up by being an idiot. This is too precious an opportunity to waste."

I managed another smile, keeping it more subtle than I wanted in case anyone should glance over. "It does seem rather idiotic."

He chuckled and fully turned to face me. "A point for you."

I brightened. "Which means I'm already winning, as I should."

His grin widened, one that was not only contagious but far too much of a giveaway of our true feelings. I forced myself to look stern.

"Careful, Prince, else those who may be watching might get the false impression you actually like me."

"Which would be a shame, considering I more than merely like you."

A girlish thrill rippled over me at his words. His lips twitched, as if he sensed his effect on me and was tempted to grin again, but he firmly tucked his pleasure behind a rather serious mask that was far too exaggerated to be real.

"Right... I must be grumpy and indifferent, and pretend the enemy princess isn't making me the happiest I've been in months." He pretended to scowl.

I mashed my own lips together to suppress the giggle aching to escape. "Sullenness doesn't suit you."

"Not even aggravatingly charming sullenness?"

A smile tempted my lips, just as it always did whenever I was around him; his presence lifted my spirits unlike any other. "I suppose that is an exception."

His expression gentled. "We seem to make a lot of those for one another, don't we?"

A special look passed between us, one where words, as much as I longed to exchange them, weren't needed, a silence made comfortable by the letters and interactions that had brought us to this point. He lifted his hand, as if to caress my cheek, before remembering himself and lowered it with a sigh. "Is it strange to miss you even when we're standing directly in front of one another? Even though you're here, it feels as if we're still miles apart. I've truly missed you, Sere. That is the first of many things I want to tell you."

"As I've missed you," I murmured.

"Naturally. I'm quite easy to miss." He winked, but his teasing quickly softened into a more gentle expression. "I've been concocting every scheme I could think of to see you sooner than now, but most were rather drastic and might have caused rather sticky relations between our kingdoms. So, instead, I've been counting the days since we last saw one another."

"And how many has it been?" I lifted my eyebrow in challenge.

"One-hundred and eleven, to the day."

My eyes widened in astonishment. To think he'd actually been counting made me feel utterly cherished, just as each of his letters had made me feel. But despite how much I loved his letters, they were nothing to being in his presence, which deepened these special feelings to fill my heart.

"In truth, I've thought of nothing else but you," he admitted. "There are so many things I wish to discuss with you, only to see you again and have words utterly fail me."

"Then don't speak," I said. "Let's just enjoy being together. That's all I want: just to be with you."

"That's an arrangement I'm not opposed to. We didn't do much talking the last time we were together..." His grin became wicked.

My toes curled in my slippers to think of that kiss, one I'd been daydreaming about ever since its occurrence and ached to experience again. Endymion's blazing look made it clear he shared my desires.

As if he couldn't help himself he stepped forward, as desperate to be as close to me as I wanted to be with him, and suddenly we were standing much too close, yet somehow not close enough. I felt surrounded by Endymion's presence—his loving gaze, his warmth, his alluring piney scent, all of which enfolded me like an embrace.

Endymion glanced around subtly to ensure no one was paying us any attention before shyly stretching his fingers out to graze the back of my hand, the first flirtatious touch we'd exchanged, considering the kiss from our last meeting had skipped several essential steps in proper courtship. His single touch ignited my skin. My hand shifted so my fingers grazed his palm, aching to curl around his.

The sound of footsteps approaching yanked us apart. Endymion jolted his hand away and hastily put several steps between us, and just in time. We turned to see none other than my intended.

We exchanged the proper bows and greetings before Prince Daedric stepped closer with an uncertain glance towards Endymion, now looking rather thunderous over ill-timed interruption. He frowned at him before casting me a concerned look. "Is he bothering you?"

I hesitated, knowing I ought to claim he had been, but the lie felt extra blasphemous when I could still feel the shadow of his ripply touch against my hand.

As if sensing my internal struggle, Endymion bowed and hastily departed, granting me the reprieve I desired from the charade, yet leaving me longing for his presence all over again. Our stolen interaction had been far too short, especially when we didn't know when we'd receive the opportunity for another.

It turned out not to be for hours.

I only caught glimpses of Endymion throughout the meetings, meals, and events that filled the remainder of the afternoon, and though I could at least see him, it was almost worse to be so near him yet unable to act on my need for him.

Prince Daedric often stayed by my side, as if he saw it his duty to keep me company or protect me, should Endymion approach me again. His company quickly grew wearying, for though the prince was kind he was rather serious and even a bit shy, which limited our conversation to the most banal of topics.

It might have been pleasant enough if not for Endymion's taunting presence—he felt both so near and incredibly so far. I longed to bridge the distance between us, to feel his touch on my skin rather than the sensation not limited to an exchange of whispers but one as long and deep as our letters had become.

Yet the hours passed and we remained apart.

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The hour was growing later and my patience growing thin. Dinner had come and gone with us forced to sit at opposite ends of the table, and now the guests gathered in the parlor following dessert, a crowd that would likely make it difficult, if not impossible, for Endymion and me to steal another moment. We exchanged a single look full of longing before he was forced to turn away to converse with Prince Frisian of Nemeth.

I bit my lip to suppress a sigh and turned begrudgingly to my intended standing nearby, a better option than sulking moodily in the corner all alone. "Prince Daedric," I greeted.

For a strange moment his expression seemed to falter before a wide grin filled it. He bowed, one far more flamboyant than his usual rigid movement. "Princess Serenity."

His tone was a bit more animated than before. I frowned. How strange. But, as if he noticed the change the moment I did, he hastily tucked his exuberance away and resumed his usual stoic expression. "Have you had a pleasant day?" His tone was almost exaggerated in its stiffness, promising a conversation as forced and uninspiring as our last.

No, I thought sourly before forcing a tight smile. Moments into our conversation and I already regretted choosing to seek his company rather than remaining alone.

"Of course. I've enjoyed my time in Saharia; the day has been full of hospitality and interesting events." Along with a myriad of unfulfilled hopes. "It's also been a wonderful opportunity to have time to get to know you better." I prayed he wouldn't notice how stiffly I made the expected courteous comment.

His lips twitched, almost as if thinking of a private joke. "Indeed it has, Princess. I always enjoy spending time with you."

I frowned slightly. It was the response decorum encouraged him to make, but from what I could tell, Prince Daedric found our interactions as tedious as I did. Politics were nothing more than a charade.

I searched my mind for a bearable topic of conversation. "I've been hoping to speak with Prince Cassim about the caverns we spoke of earlier, but haven't yet found the opportunity."

Prince Daedric's easygoing grin faltered and he blinked, as if trying to recall the conversation I was referring to. Even though it'd only been a few hours since we'd last spoken, it appeared our conversation had been just as "memorable" to him as it had been for me.

But he recovered quickly. "Ah, yes, I'm eager to learn more about these caverns if we're ever to explore them."

My brow puckered. "I thought you said that, while you can appreciate Saharia's unique geography, you'd much prefer to experience it through books rather than travel." We certainly hadn't discussed actually exploring the caverns, though I wasn't averse to the idea.

Once more his smile faded. "So I did." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "It appears I've changed my mind."

I studied him curiously. His expression remained both polite and the epitome of innocence, but something seemed off nonetheless. "Are you alright, Prince Daedric? Have you—?"

"Princess Serenity?"

Not Endymion, but the voice was familiar. I glanced behind me, and gave a small, undignified shriek that drew the attention of many in the parlor, for Prince Daedric stood not just in front of me, but behind me as well.

At my reaction, the first Prince Daedric I'd been conversing with laughed buoyantly, his previous seriousness now entirely absent. "It never gets old."

My head whisked back and forth as I gaped first at him, then at the other Prince Daedric, before my shock faded into obvious realization. I groaned. "You're a twin."

They simultaneously nodded before the twin who'd just arrived stepped forward. "I'd like to introduce my brother, Prince Darcel."

I only continued to stare, my mind working frantically to process this realization, but the shock was too much to wear off so quickly. How could I have not known before now? True, my past meetings with Prince Daedric had been when he'd visited me alone without the other members of his family, but still…

Endymion suddenly arrived from across the room, as if my startled outburst had shattered the last of his willpower to maintain our necessary distance. One of the twins gave him a curious look.

"I find it necessary to clear my name," he explained. "Despite the animosity we share, I had nothing to do with the princess's apparent discomfort; with the relationship between our kingdoms, I know the blame would be all too easy to lay at my feet."

Despite his indifferent tone, concern filled his eyes as they met mine, a look that was also rather protective, as if he suspected the twin princes of being dishonorable. His gaze conveyed far more than his words had, filling in the spaces our charade had forced him to create.

I felt compelled to explain. "I've only just learned through a rather startling way that my intended is a twin." I motioned to the two identical men standing before me wearing nearly identical grins, though Prince Darcel's was mischievous and Prince Daedric's more sheepish.

Endymion's eyes widened as he took them in. "I see. Which is your intended?"

"I am," they both said simultaneously.

I looked back and forth between the two, trying to discern any difference that would reveal who was truly who. The trouble was there weren't any, for though I'd been able to surmise that they appeared to possess opposite temperaments—one serious, the other much more lighthearted—with every back and forth glance they switched their expressions, as if the two scoundrels had long since mastered how to be the other one on command and took great delight in switching off at every opportunity.

I groaned and buried my face in my hands. "Of all the non-twin princes my parents could have created an arrangement with…" Why, in all our discussions over the potential match, had my parents failed to inform me of such a crucial detail?

"It is rather unlucky," Prince Darcel—or was it Daedric? How was I to know?—said rather cheerfully. "Or lucky, depending on how you look at it. Just think: two for the price of one."

Endymion's jaw clenched, clearly not amused, and even the twin who'd only just arrived didn't laugh along with his brother. He studied me for a long moment before his shoulders slumped with a defeated sigh. "We shouldn't toy with her, Darcel."

The other twin frowned. "But we toy with everyone…Darcel."

Prince Daedric glared at him, and his brother had the good sense to look contrite. "It doesn't seem fair to conduct our scheme with her. After all, we have an arrangement in the works, making our usual mischief rather dishonorable." A blush filled his cheeks to speak of our arrangement, while Endymion's jaw tightened further and Prince Darcel rolled his eyes.

"We could have at least continued until it was official," he muttered, but upon catching Prince Daedric's disapproving frown he folded his arms across his chest with a heavy sigh. "Fine, I'll concede. I am Darcel."

I supposed I'd have to take his word for it, trusting that, for the time being, they were done switching. "And have you ever pretended to be your brother during our courtship?" I demanded.

He hesitated before offering an offhanded shrug. "Only twice."

My mouth fell agape. "Only twice?"

"I was ill once," Prince Daedric spoke in a rush of words, as if desperate to defend his deceit. "And the first time I was feeling a bit…anxious at the thought of meeting you, so we…" He couldn't seem to finish.

His full meaning hit me. "You mean our first meeting wasn't even with you?"

Prince Daedric sheepishly bit his lip and, avoiding my gaze, nodded. I couldn't speak, I could only stare in disbelief.

Prince Darcel sighed. "Daedric is shy, especially around women, so I took his place to test the waters and see how scary you'd be. It's something we do often."

My cheeks burned with mortification. Prince Darcel didn't seem to notice, though Endymion certainly did. At the sight of my distress he seemed unable to continue to feign indifference and gave each of the twin princes a dark glare, one I was certain the rumors surrounding him would interpret as him being moments away from staging an invasion on the princes' kingdom for their offense against me. Thankfully they were too distracted to notice, else our entire charade would have unraveled in an instant.

For everyone's sake it was good they didn't linger. As if my presence only escalated their guilt over their trick, the twin princes shuffled off, with a mumbled apology from Prince Daedric and a disappointed frown from Prince Darcel, leaving me and Endymion blessedly as alone as we'd been all day. Finally.

After ensuring the others in the room were engaged in their own conversations, Endymion edged closer—as much as he dared considering the circumstances—and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Are you alright?"

"No," I said sourly.

His concerned frown deepened. "It's no wonder. That was a dishonorable trick for Prince Daedric to have played—"

I likely would have been angrier if I hadn't sensed Prince Daedric's sincerity in how anxious our initial meeting had made him. "It isn't that, it's this." I gestured between us. "I've waited months to see you again, and yet I've barely seen you all day. All we can exchange are a few stolen whispers midst feigned indifference. We've only just begun this and already it's so…wearying."

"I agree." His gaze drifted away to glare at Princes Daedric and Darcel, now standing at the other end of the parlor. It took me a moment to recognize his disgruntled look, having had no cause until now to see it twist Endymion's expression.

"Are you...jealous?"

He didn't even try to pretend otherwise. "Of course I am. You've conversed with Prince Daedric—or his twin—five times throughout the day while I've been forced to watch from afar."

"Too bad Princess Beryl isn't in attendance so we could both be jealous." But I regretted the teasing quip the moment I gave it, for my words only made him seem more miserable. I hated the thought of the pain I'd unintentionally caused him—pain I understood all too well considering it was the same pain I experienced whenever apart from him—and ached to reassure him.

"No matter how much my parents wish it, nothing will come of it, not when you've already stolen the heart of the crown princess of Clariness."

I hoped our usual banter would give him cause to smile, but he only looked more sullen. I sobered but remained undeterred in my quest to cheer him up. I tried a different approach.

"You're looking rather annoyed. Memorize this mask for the next performance of our charade. Considering I caused it, does this mean I've won this round?" But I'd no sooner spoken the words than my attempt to sound lighthearted faltered. He looked too dejected to even pretend.

He sighed. "I suppose you did, but in this instance it doesn't feel like a game to me." His glance drifted once more to Prince Daedric—or his brother, one of the two. "Seeing you with him, knowing he's your future unless we accomplish the impossible by finding a way to stop it… Perhaps we're playing a different game than either of us thought, one of make-believe, and one day that game will end and I'll be forced to lose you."

My heart wrenched at the thought. I ached to reassure him—and in turn myself—that such a scenario would never happen. But, in truth, with circumstances being what they were, that was one promise I couldn't make. I understood all too well the difficult journey that lay ahead, a path that we could only hope led to the destination we yearned for rather than the dead end we both feared.

"What are we going to do?" It was the same question we'd asked in each letter exchanged, one we had yet to find an answer for.

For a moment he looked utterly hopeless, before he took a wavering breath and forced a smile. "There has to be a way to make it work. We must come up with a firm plan. I confess the current one I'm tempted by is to kidnap you and whisk you away somewhere we won't have to pretend for anyone. Or, perhaps a less extreme scenario, forget this game and simply kiss you senseless now for all to see so we have no need to hide what we feel any longer."

His gaze lingered on my lips with a look like he very much wanted to act on that impulse.

Yearning caused my heart to swell and, for a moment, I was tempted to say yes to all he'd suggested. The thought of the repercussions that would fall all around us should we be discovered too soon silenced my consent.

"Your father would kill you." It was only one of many dire consequences that would follow our discovery.

He yanked his gaze away from my mouth with clear reluctance. "Unfortunately, that is not an exaggeration. I'm afraid in his anger he'd do something extreme as a means to retaliate against Clariness."

Yet another reason that meant for now the game between us would have to continue.

Our interaction, as short as it felt, had gone on too long to avoid suspicion, yet I wasn't ready to depart. I never would be.

"Let's not discuss this now. We have so little time."

He sighed. "I suppose we have lingered too long." Yet he made no move to end our time together. Instead he leaned forward, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Even if we're forced to say goodbye for today, and even if we don't get a chance to interact the remainder of our time in Saharia, you can't wriggle out of the plan I have for you so easily: I fully intend to court you, Serenity."

A strange thrill filled my stomach, before reality shoved its way where it wasn't wanted. "But how are we to do that when we're constantly surrounded by an audience?" It would be very difficult to slip away to steal a private moment alone long enough for even the simplest courtship activity.

"Through stealth, of course." He waggled his eyebrows. "I've already demonstrated my prowess at the task: earlier today I held your hand, a risk that is definitely worth not just one, but two points. Don't tell me you've already forgotten."

"Most definitely not." The smile that had been entirely absent most of the day finally appeared. "But two points? That seems far too generous considering you merely attempted to hold my hand. It's poor form to lay claim on an accomplishment you didn't actually make."

He sobered. "You're right. It would be quite dishonorable of me not to see that task through."

He shifted his body so that his hand hovered near mine but in a way that was still obscured to those who might look over. His fingers once more grazed my hand. Heat immediately rippled across my skin at his touch, one that, while brief, made me feel alive. My fingers itched to take his and weave our fingers together, an impulse that was nearly impossible to resist.

Longing filled his eyes as his gaze flickered down to my hand. "It won't be tonight, but I will fulfill this challenge: not only to have a long, uninterrupted conversation with you where I finally satisfy every curiosity brought on by the spaces between our letters, but to hold your hand."

"How are you going to manage that?" I asked breathlessly, still rather lightheaded from his single touch alone.

His grin was mischievous. "You'll just have to see, and you will, for this is a new game I'm determined to do all in my power to win."

Warmth filled me, replacing the disappointments and uncertainty of the day until none remained. "I'm looking forward to it."

We exchanged one final smile before parting ways, for now, for finding another opportunity to come together was a challenge I was certain we'd both see through, no matter what it took.

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