He’s nervous too.
The realization sends a surge of boldness through me, and I part my lips slightly, let my tongue brush experimentally against his bottom lip. It’s instinct more than knowledge, but—
Aric makes a low rumbling sound in his chest and pulls back, breathing hard. His eyes are darker now, pupils wide, and he touches his own lips like he’s not quite sure what just happened.
“You are . . . full of surprises,” he murmurs.
We sit there for a moment, neither of us quite willing to break the spell. My lips are tingling, my face is hot, and I’m acutely aware that we’re in public, that there are other people around us, that I just kissed Aric Vandermere in the middle of a cookie shop garden.
I can’t believe I just kissed him. That he kissedme.
This is so much better than any of the dreams I’ve had lately—especially that cookie one.
“Are you okay?” Aric asks when my silence has stretched on for a touch too long.
I nod, then add quietly, “Yes. More than okay.”
Aric’s smile softens. “What are you thinking right now?”
I blink as if coming out of a spell, then decide to say the first thing that pops into my mind. “That I’m very glad I listened to Professor Silvermoon.”
Aric arches a brow at me.
“She suggested I try the blueberry-vanilla flavor,” I explain, and a little look of surprise, then understanding, crosses Aric’s face.
“Do you diviners always know what’s going to happen before it happens?” he asks as he stands from our picnic table, then reaches down to offer me a hand up.
I don’t need it, but I slip my hand into his anyway, letting him pull me to my feet. “No. Life would be a bit boring that way, I think.”
Still holding my hand, Aric looks down at me with a more serious expression. “So, you didn’t know I was going to kiss you?”
I don’t break his gaze as I shake my head.
“But if youhad... would you still have come?”
There’s a hint of nervousness in his voice, and I imagine it’s such a rare occurrence that I make a mental note of it.
I give his hand a little squeeze. “Yes. I would’ve been a lot more nervous though.”
Aric’s smile is bright. “You were nervous? Why?”
Since we’re talking truths today, I take a deep breath, then let it out with a sigh and say, “I’ve... only been on a few dates before. I didn’t really know what to expect.” With my free hand, I reach up and snag a strand of hair. “And you seem so much more experienced, so... I guess I... didn’t want to disappoint you. Or make a fool of myself.”
His beaming smile fades, but he doesn’t drop my hand. A sweet-scented breeze dances around us, causing one of the tall aspens lining the back garden to shed a few golden leaves. They twirl down around us like confetti, and one lands in my hair. Before I can brush it away, Aric reaches up to pluck it gently free.
He studies the leaf for a moment, turning it between his fingers, and something shifts in his expression—like he’s just made a decision.
“You know,” he says, his voice softer now, “I’ve been trying to figure out the right way to ask you something. The right moment.” He glances up at the tree, then back at me, that mischievous glint returning to his eyes. “But I think the universe just gave me a sign.”
My heart picks up speed. “Ask me what?”
Instead of answering, Aric steps back and—to my complete shock—drops to one knee right there in the garden.
I’m immediately aware of heads turning toward us.
But Aric just grins up at me, tusks gleaming, holding out the golden aspen leaf like it’s a priceless treasure. “Poppy Waverly, will you allow me the honor of escorting you to the Blue Moon Ball?”
My cheeks flame as I feel multiple pairs of eyes on us, but when I focus on Aric—on the hopeful warmth in his expression, the way he’s holding that little leaf with such earnestness—I find I don’t care nearly as much as I typically would.
