debating how far I was willing to let curiosity take me, when a voice made me jump.
“It’s appropriate to ask for permission before snooping into personal documents, don’t you think?” Ren asked casually.
I minimized the window and stood up abruptly. He filled the office doorway, leaning against it on one shoulder while his arms were crossed over his chest.
“I . . . I was looking for you and got sidetracked,” I mumbled.
“I see.” He softly closed his laptop and propped his hip against the desk, considering me. “I’d say you found more than you were looking for.”
I stared at my shoelaces for a few seconds but quickly found a spark of annoyance to assuage the guilt and lifted my head. “Have you been hiding things from me?”
“No.”
“Well is there something important going on here that you’re not telling me?”
“No,” he repeated.
“Promise me,” I said quietly, “promise me with a royal oath.”
He took my hands in his, looked me in the eyes, and said, “As the prince of the Mujulaain Empire, I promise you that there is nothing to worry about here. If you are concerned, ask Kadam.” He leaned his head a little bit closer. “But what I really want is your trust. I won’t abuse it, Kelsey.”
“You’d better not,” I emphasized by poking him in the chest.
He brought my fingers to his lips, distracting me enough that the subject became suddenly very unimportant.
“I won’t,” he vowed softly and guided me back home.
The romantic daze dissipated soon after he left, and I found myself angry at the ease with which he bent me to his will with just a casual touch.
On the Monday after Christmas, wushu classes started again, and I had absolutely no idea what I was going to say to Li. Ren agreed to bow out this time so I could talk to Li first. I couldn’t concentrate through the whole session and made a halfhearted effort in learning the hand forms. I couldn’t keep the names straight. The only ones I could remember were eagle’s claw and monkey.
After class, it was time to face the music.
What am I going to say? He’s going to hate me.
“Li, I was hoping we could talk.”
“Sure.” He grinned.
He was happy and carefree, and I was the complete opposite. I felt so nervous that I had to sit on my hands to stop them from shaking.
Li stretched out his long legs on the mat and propped himself up against the wall next to me.
Taking a long drink of water, he wiped his mouth and asked, “So what’s up, Kelsey?”
“Umm . . . I’m not really sure how to say this, so I guess I’ll just spit it out. Ren is back.”
“Oh. I wondered when he’d show up. I figured he wouldn’t stay away from you forever. So, you’re breaking up with me then,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Well, no, not exactly. See, Ren would like me to keep dating you, but he wants to date me too.”
“What? What kind of a guy would . . . wait . . . so you’re not breaking up with me?”
I hurried to explain, “No. But I’d understand if you didn’t want to see me anymore. He feels that I should date both of you and then choose.”
“Well, how . . . sporting of him. And what do you think about that?”
I put my hand on his arm. “I agreed to give it a try, but I told him that dating two guys at the same time isn’t the way things usually go and that you’d never agree to it.”
“What did he say then?”
I sighed. “He said that if you couldn’t handle a little honest competition then it’s better for me to know now.”
Li’s hands closed into fists. “If he thinks I’ll just give up and walk away then he’s wrong! Honest competition it is.”
“Are you joking? You’re pulling my leg, aren’t you?”
“My grandfather taught me to set goals and then fight for what I want and there’s no way I’m letting you go without a fight. A young man who doesn’t have the foresight to seek out the girl he wants to be with and actively pursue her, doesn’t deserve her.”
I
“It’s appropriate to ask for permission before snooping into personal documents, don’t you think?” Ren asked casually.
I minimized the window and stood up abruptly. He filled the office doorway, leaning against it on one shoulder while his arms were crossed over his chest.
“I . . . I was looking for you and got sidetracked,” I mumbled.
“I see.” He softly closed his laptop and propped his hip against the desk, considering me. “I’d say you found more than you were looking for.”
I stared at my shoelaces for a few seconds but quickly found a spark of annoyance to assuage the guilt and lifted my head. “Have you been hiding things from me?”
“No.”
“Well is there something important going on here that you’re not telling me?”
“No,” he repeated.
“Promise me,” I said quietly, “promise me with a royal oath.”
He took my hands in his, looked me in the eyes, and said, “As the prince of the Mujulaain Empire, I promise you that there is nothing to worry about here. If you are concerned, ask Kadam.” He leaned his head a little bit closer. “But what I really want is your trust. I won’t abuse it, Kelsey.”
“You’d better not,” I emphasized by poking him in the chest.
He brought my fingers to his lips, distracting me enough that the subject became suddenly very unimportant.
“I won’t,” he vowed softly and guided me back home.
The romantic daze dissipated soon after he left, and I found myself angry at the ease with which he bent me to his will with just a casual touch.
On the Monday after Christmas, wushu classes started again, and I had absolutely no idea what I was going to say to Li. Ren agreed to bow out this time so I could talk to Li first. I couldn’t concentrate through the whole session and made a halfhearted effort in learning the hand forms. I couldn’t keep the names straight. The only ones I could remember were eagle’s claw and monkey.
After class, it was time to face the music.
What am I going to say? He’s going to hate me.
“Li, I was hoping we could talk.”
“Sure.” He grinned.
He was happy and carefree, and I was the complete opposite. I felt so nervous that I had to sit on my hands to stop them from shaking.
Li stretched out his long legs on the mat and propped himself up against the wall next to me.
Taking a long drink of water, he wiped his mouth and asked, “So what’s up, Kelsey?”
“Umm . . . I’m not really sure how to say this, so I guess I’ll just spit it out. Ren is back.”
“Oh. I wondered when he’d show up. I figured he wouldn’t stay away from you forever. So, you’re breaking up with me then,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Well, no, not exactly. See, Ren would like me to keep dating you, but he wants to date me too.”
“What? What kind of a guy would . . . wait . . . so you’re not breaking up with me?”
I hurried to explain, “No. But I’d understand if you didn’t want to see me anymore. He feels that I should date both of you and then choose.”
“Well, how . . . sporting of him. And what do you think about that?”
I put my hand on his arm. “I agreed to give it a try, but I told him that dating two guys at the same time isn’t the way things usually go and that you’d never agree to it.”
“What did he say then?”
I sighed. “He said that if you couldn’t handle a little honest competition then it’s better for me to know now.”
Li’s hands closed into fists. “If he thinks I’ll just give up and walk away then he’s wrong! Honest competition it is.”
“Are you joking? You’re pulling my leg, aren’t you?”
“My grandfather taught me to set goals and then fight for what I want and there’s no way I’m letting you go without a fight. A young man who doesn’t have the foresight to seek out the girl he wants to be with and actively pursue her, doesn’t deserve her.”
I
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