Riley crawls into my lap, leaning back against me as she points at their crooked creation. “It’s perfect,” she declares.
“It is,” Raf agrees, glancing at me.
Our eyes meet.
Something unspoken passes between us, heavy and terrifying and achingly tender, and a question I’ve avoided for years rises up, sharp and impossible to ignore.
Is it right to keep such a massive secret from him?
20
RAFAEL
The look in Aisling’s eyes echoes something deep in my soul—a sense of deep sadness, like this is exactly what she wants in life but knows it’s not hers to keep. And of course it’s not.
When the weekend is over, Riley will go back to her parents, and Aisling will be stuck here with me, reinforcing the fact that the alliance between our families is very much alive.
With a squeal, Riley jumps to her feet and turns to face us. “Now it’s time to decide who guards the castle,” she explains.
She stands in the center of the sitting room, one sock half-off, curls wild, eyes bright with authority.
The pillow castle we’ve built leans dangerously to one side, all turrets and bravado. But she couldn’t be more proud of our creation as she considers what to make each of us.
“You’re the dragon,” she announces, pointing at me. “Because you’re really big. And scary.”
Aisling winces. “Riley.”
“It’s a good scary,” Riley says immediately, as if she anticipated the correction. She plants her hands on her hips, chin tipped up. “Because your job is to protect the princess, even though everyone thinks she needs rescuing.”
Something warm and absurd unfurls in my chest, and I smile crookedly, caught up in the little girl’s vivid imagination. “I see,” I say gravely. “And does that make you this princess I’m supposed to protect?”
Riley gives me and incredulous look, like I’ve just asked the most obvious question and clearly gotten the answer wrong. She turns and points directly at Aisling.
“No, silly, she’s the princess.”
Aisling stills.
The room goes very quiet for a fraction of a second.
Then Riley barrels on, climbing onto the couch and striking a heroic pose. “I’m the knight,” she declares. “I came to save her.”
Aisling laughs, a little breathless. “My hero. You must be very brave.”
“But,” Riley adds, wagging a finger at me, “I’m not gonna kill the dragon.”
I raise a brow. “No?”
“No,” she says decisively. “When I see he’s a nice dragon, I’m going to befriend him.”
Something tightens low in my chest. “A wise choice.”
She beams. “You must be lonely if you’re a dragon,” she observes solemnly, climbing down from the couch to rest her tiny hand comfortingly on my shoulder.
The innocent, unassuming gesture might as well have gutted me, and for a moment, it feels like I can scarcely breathe. Aisling’s gaze snaps to me, and I swallow painfully as I quickly try to pull myself together.
“That’s true,” I concede. “Not many people are willing to befriend someone so mean and scary.”
“But you’re not really mean,” Riley says with grave understanding. “And now that we’re friends, that means you can tell me anything.”
