help me up, and when our hands touched an electric shock jumped between our fingers. I didn’t know what to do or say. I wrenched by hand free as soon as I was on my feet and I took a few steps back.
“Jerk,” I said, trying to tease him but sounding breathless and far too excited instead. My whole body flushed. I itched to move towards him instead of away. I put a hand to my cheek. Will stayed by the bookshelf, his blue eyes puzzled. I took another step back.
“Are you all right?”
“I think—er—I’m going to go,” I managed.
“Really? We haven’t been working that long.”
“Yes, but, I’m tired.”
He looked skeptical, but thankfully he didn’t push it. “All right. We’ll work on it more tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow,” I agreed, and practically fled the room.
~
“I think I’m attracted to him,” I confessed to Liam. He’d become like my priest, listening patiently in the dark to all my problems and fears. He’d become my friend, offering advice and encouragement.
His chains clinked as he moved. He sounded almost amused. “And?”
“You’re not shocked? Horrified? I mean, isn’t it his fault you’re a prisoner?”
“It’s not his fault I’m here. It’s the curse’s fault. And no, I’m not shocked or horrified. You’re a girl. He’s a boy. These things happen.”
These things happen. Um, okay. “Well, I’m shocked and horrified.”
“Why?”
“Well, I’m sort of dating this guy, Drew. You remember. I told you about him.”
“Your high school friend.”
“Yes. Well, he’s more than a friend. But not quite a boyfriend. And anyway . . . I like Drew. Not Will.”
“So he’s Will now? Not Beast Boy?”
I smiled in the dark to myself. “Oh, he’s definitely still Beast Boy. But he’s more than that too, I guess.”
“It’s progress,” Liam said.
Sometimes I wondered whose side he was on.
ELEVEN
I was awakened the next morning by a pounding on my bedroom door. I rolled over, squinting in the early morning sunlight.
“Whoizit?” My words came out gargled. Sleep clouded my eyes. What time was it?
“Beauty, wake up! You have to come see this!”
I rolled out of bed and staggered to the door. I put my lips to the crack. “Will?”
He practically knocked me over as he came inside. I realized too late that I was only in a tank and shorts. Probably way too much skin for an old-school gentleman like Will to handle without embarrassment. I mean come on, they barely showed their ankles in those days. But he didn’t even seem to notice, he was so excited.
“Look!” He waved a handful of fresh white roses in my face. The scent tickled my nose, and I sneezed.
“Flowers. Very nice,” I managed. I was too sleepy to puzzle through the reasons he was offering me roses. I just wanted to put my head back on my pillow . . .
“No, listen.” He grabbed me by both shoulders as I tried to turn back for the bed, smooshing the roses against my shoulder. “These are fresh roses!”
“So?”
“There haven’t been fresh flowers in this house in four years!”
“Not true,” I mumbled. “There were roses in the library the other day. Can I go back to sleep?”
“Nope, you lazy bones, you have to see this first.” He steered me for the door. I made a whimper of protest and pointed at the bed.
“Sleepy. Me. Bed. Now.”
Will just pushed me through the door and into a musty study.
“It’s, ah . . . very dark?” Actually, that was nice. I could sleep here, maybe.
“Not this room. C’mon.” He crossed the carpet and threw open the opposite door. “Aha! Here we go.” He swept one hand down in an elegant invitation for me to go first. I pushed past him with a growl. I was sleepy .
The noise died in my throat as I stepped into the conservatory and saw what all the fuss was about. My jaw dropped in shock.
“It’s a boat.”
A massive sailboat filled half the conservatory, the mast stretching up to the top of the ceiling and the hull resting
“Jerk,” I said, trying to tease him but sounding breathless and far too excited instead. My whole body flushed. I itched to move towards him instead of away. I put a hand to my cheek. Will stayed by the bookshelf, his blue eyes puzzled. I took another step back.
“Are you all right?”
“I think—er—I’m going to go,” I managed.
“Really? We haven’t been working that long.”
“Yes, but, I’m tired.”
He looked skeptical, but thankfully he didn’t push it. “All right. We’ll work on it more tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow,” I agreed, and practically fled the room.
~
“I think I’m attracted to him,” I confessed to Liam. He’d become like my priest, listening patiently in the dark to all my problems and fears. He’d become my friend, offering advice and encouragement.
His chains clinked as he moved. He sounded almost amused. “And?”
“You’re not shocked? Horrified? I mean, isn’t it his fault you’re a prisoner?”
“It’s not his fault I’m here. It’s the curse’s fault. And no, I’m not shocked or horrified. You’re a girl. He’s a boy. These things happen.”
These things happen. Um, okay. “Well, I’m shocked and horrified.”
“Why?”
“Well, I’m sort of dating this guy, Drew. You remember. I told you about him.”
“Your high school friend.”
“Yes. Well, he’s more than a friend. But not quite a boyfriend. And anyway . . . I like Drew. Not Will.”
“So he’s Will now? Not Beast Boy?”
I smiled in the dark to myself. “Oh, he’s definitely still Beast Boy. But he’s more than that too, I guess.”
“It’s progress,” Liam said.
Sometimes I wondered whose side he was on.
ELEVEN
I was awakened the next morning by a pounding on my bedroom door. I rolled over, squinting in the early morning sunlight.
“Whoizit?” My words came out gargled. Sleep clouded my eyes. What time was it?
“Beauty, wake up! You have to come see this!”
I rolled out of bed and staggered to the door. I put my lips to the crack. “Will?”
He practically knocked me over as he came inside. I realized too late that I was only in a tank and shorts. Probably way too much skin for an old-school gentleman like Will to handle without embarrassment. I mean come on, they barely showed their ankles in those days. But he didn’t even seem to notice, he was so excited.
“Look!” He waved a handful of fresh white roses in my face. The scent tickled my nose, and I sneezed.
“Flowers. Very nice,” I managed. I was too sleepy to puzzle through the reasons he was offering me roses. I just wanted to put my head back on my pillow . . .
“No, listen.” He grabbed me by both shoulders as I tried to turn back for the bed, smooshing the roses against my shoulder. “These are fresh roses!”
“So?”
“There haven’t been fresh flowers in this house in four years!”
“Not true,” I mumbled. “There were roses in the library the other day. Can I go back to sleep?”
“Nope, you lazy bones, you have to see this first.” He steered me for the door. I made a whimper of protest and pointed at the bed.
“Sleepy. Me. Bed. Now.”
Will just pushed me through the door and into a musty study.
“It’s, ah . . . very dark?” Actually, that was nice. I could sleep here, maybe.
“Not this room. C’mon.” He crossed the carpet and threw open the opposite door. “Aha! Here we go.” He swept one hand down in an elegant invitation for me to go first. I pushed past him with a growl. I was sleepy .
The noise died in my throat as I stepped into the conservatory and saw what all the fuss was about. My jaw dropped in shock.
“It’s a boat.”
A massive sailboat filled half the conservatory, the mast stretching up to the top of the ceiling and the hull resting
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