Twice Upon A Time (Unfinished Fairy Tales #2)(31)

The next thing I know, I rush at him and knock him over. Edward lies with his back on the floor, and I am sitting right on his stomach.

Oh, my God. What have I done? What’s wrong with me?

For a moment, both of us freeze. Edward stares up at me, and there’s no mistaking the astonishment in his eyes.

“I . . . I’m sorry,” I stammer, and I attempt to scramble away from him, but my heel digs into his ankle and he lets out a grunt of pain. “I’m so sorry,” I repeat, feeling completely mortified. I thought I had gotten over my clumsiness, but when it comes to him, it seems I can no longer maintain a calm and casual attitude. Only a short time, and he’s already messing with my mind in a bad way.

Someone coughs. I look up and behold a young man with leaf green eyes and curly chestnut hair. It’s Liam, the son of Enrilth’s mayor. Also, a few patrons in the library are casting us disgruntled looks. Even in the modern world, lying on the floor with Edward in a tangle of limbs won’t be allowed in a public place like this. Not to mention Athelia, which has enough rules to fill an encyclopedia.

I scramble up, my face burning. Edward, however, remains calm. He puts a hand on my back and helps me up, as though it were normal for us to engage in that position in public.

“You wished to see me?”

Liam nods, but he keeps his eyes firmly fixed on a sculpture.

“I could return another time, since obviously, you are busy . . .”

“No, no, we’re not busy at all,” I say quickly.

It’s cowardly, I know, but at the moment, all I want to do is get away as soon as possible.

I smile and turn to leave, only to run smack into the librarian, knocking several books out of arms. Oh, God. Kat-the-klutz is back in full force.

I try to avoid Edward as much as possible for the rest of the day. Perhaps sensing my discomfort, Edward doesn’t ask me about my bizarre conduct, but occasionally, I catch him staring at me, a thoughtful, serious look in his eyes. I don’t know what possessed me at that moment—knocking Edward over and sitting on his body, as if I were a sex-starved creature. Does it have something to do with the goblins? Did they put some bizarre seduction spell on me? Maybe that’s why Krev told me I need to get back to my own world. The last thing I need is to pounce on Edward and rip his shirt with a full audience.





14





I dream of Jason that night.

I’m in the magnificent palace library, browsing through the shelves, looking for the newest volume of a popular manga series. I wish I could read Japanese. I hate waiting so long for the translation to be released in the U.S.

“Kat? Is this what you’re looking for?”

Edward stands behind me, and in his hands is a glossy new paperback. I squeal and rush to him so fast that I run him over. I end up on his stomach and clutch the book to my chest.

“How did you get this?”

“I took the liberty to order books from your favorite authors.” He grins. “By the way, that is a limited special edition, with the author’s autograph on the first page.”

“You didn’t have to,” I protest. “You didn’t have to go through the trouble to have the manga shipped from Japan, not to mention getting a special edition!”

“I wanted to.” He wraps an arm around my back. “You gave up your family and your own world to be my wife. It’s the least I can do for you.”

Overcome with emotion, I lower my head. Just before my lips touch his, a cough breaks through the silence.

I look up and see Liam . . . no, it’s Jason! My boyfriend is staring at us, utterly shocked.

“Jason?” I scramble away from Edward, my face in flames.

“I’ll come back some other time,” Jason says, his expression hurt. “Since you’re obviously busy.”

“No, Jason, wait! I’m so sorry. I was brought to Athelia by force . . .”

He walks away.

I jerk up, cold sweat dampening my forehead. It’s still dark in my room. I can barely make out the canopy hung over my bed and the reflection of the glass-encased clock on the mantelpiece. What a nightmare.

Again, Jason appears in my mind. I dig deep in my mind, recalling his arms around me, his lips on mine. I miss him.

Do you, really? A snide voice whispers in my head. Did Jason occur to you when you were sitting on the prince in the library?

I let out a frustrated sigh and pound on the pillow. All my life, I’ve resented Dad for leaving Mom for another woman. There’s nothing I detest more than fickleness. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with breaking off an old relationship and moving on, but in my case, Jason didn’t do anything wrong. He didn’t cheat on me or hit me, nor do I love him less. If it weren’t for Edward, I wouldn’t even think of leaving my boyfriend. And I don’t even know Edward that well. I don’t know when his birthday is, his favorite food, or any of his hobbies. I’m only attracted to him because he’s ridiculously hot and makes my heart flutter with his touch. It’s too superficial. I need something more substantial for a serious relationship.

I’ve got to redouble my efforts to get back to the modern world.



* * *



There’s one advantage to being princess of Athelia that I would normally consider annoying, or even a handicap. On the pretense that I need rest and relaxation in order to prepare myself for child-bearing, Edward sends out a notice that the princess will not be attending any events except for really important ones. I can say no to all those parties and balls, nor do I have to cut ribbons or hand out prizes. This means I have plenty of time to plot how to get out of Athelia.