It’s a beautiful, clear night, and we can see all across the city of Maldin. “Wow,” Hazel says. “This is gorgeous.”
“I know.” I walk closer to the edge. “I used to come up here a lot when I was younger.”
She steps up beside me and we’re quiet for a second. We watch the city in silence together, enjoying the view.
“The story Jessie told me,” Hazel says suddenly, her voice soft. “Is it true?”
I look at her. “I’m not sure which story.”
“She says you saved her life.”
I take a breath and smile. I thought Jessie probably told her any one of the hundred different embarrassing stories, but that one, that’s not a bad story at all. I think about it sometimes, actually, when I’m unsure of myself. I think about the time that I was brave, really brave.
“It’s true,” I say. “Except I think she probably exaggerates.”
“What’s your version then?” she asks.
I look back out over the city, reliving that afternoon. “It had just rained,” I say. “Really hard and for a few days. The river over there,” I point out to the west, “was swollen and flowing fast. We were out walking around the woods, hiking and playing, a group of maybe six of us. There’s a rope swing over the river, and we decided to hop on and ride it.”
I can see it perfectly. The water is flowing fast, way too fast for any of us to get in. We’re maybe eleven years old at this point, and Jessie is a gangly, awkward girl who likes hanging out with the boys. The stewards that brought us are back with the truck, smoking cigarettes and pretending to watch over us, which is insane in retrospect. The crown would never let that happen today, but I think they wanted us to grow and become independent. We sure as hell grew that day.
“We all took turns,” I say to her. “Nobody jumped off, since the water was moving so fast, but we swung out after it and laughed as we jumped off back onto the bank. When it was Jessie’s turn, she didn’t even hesitate.”
I take a deep breath and shake my head. “I don’t know how it happened. But she swung out over the water and fell off. I’ll never forget her scream as she crashed into the water.”
I’m quiet for a second, my eyes closed, picturing that moment. We all thought she was dead. She didn’t resurface for a few seconds.
“She says you jumped in after her,” Hazel says softly.
“Not exactly,” I answer. “I told two other boys to go get help. There were stewards nearby that should have been watching us. Then I ran downstream a little bit to a tree that had fallen during the storm. I climbed out over that, and when Jessie resurfaced, I jumped in to grab her.”
I’ll never forget that moment. It was so stupid of me. I shouldn’t have gotten in the water. But I did, I jumped in and grabbed Jessie by the waist, pulling her over to the tree. I grabbed onto a branch and I held us there until the stewards arrived. They pulled us out of the water. We got in so much trouble, I don’t think I left my room for a week.
“You risked yourself for her,” Hazel says.
“I only did what anybody would have done.”
“I don’t think so,” she says. “It sounds really brave.”
“And stupid,” I point out. “I could have gotten us both killed.”
“But you didn’t.”
I shrug and go quiet again. I didn’t know Jessie still thought about that. I haven’t been a good friend in the last few years, but I’m going to work on that.
I turn to Hazel and she’s looking up at me with these wide eyes, a strange expression on her face. I can’t quite read it, though I think I can guess what it means. I suddenly feel something inside of me, almost like I’m back in that moment from when I was a child again. But this time, it’s an excitement aimed toward her.
I tip Hazel’s chin up toward me and gently kiss her full lips.
She doesn’t pull away. I step closer, wrapping my arms around her, and I kiss her deeper. It’s not the sort of kiss I ever expected to have with Hazel. I know we’re going to have sex and get her pregnant, but I didn’t know what we’d have this between us. It’s a slow kiss, sensual and full of feeling. I don’t understand where it’s coming from, but in this moment, I know I need it.
Slowly, we break apart, and she looks up at me with a little smile. “I guess that’s okay, since we’re married.”
I smirk at her. “We could do more, you know.”
She grins and pushes me away. “Keep it in your pants, prince.”
“I can’t help it if you make me want to undress you, princess,” I say.