Page 85 of Dawn of Hope

My cheeks heat and am glad for the cover of darkness and shadows of the fire. I turn away from his stare and look into the flames. “You say that to all the girls that come onto the island, don’t you?”

He chuckles. “Definitely not.”

I chuckle. “Mara would be even more in love with you than she already is.”

“She’ll get over it.” A smile plays on his lips. “So,” he continues, “did I convince you to trust me?”

“Almost,” I say playfully.

He groans and slams his fist over his heart, pretending to stagger backward. “Ugh, you wound me!”

A laugh bursts out of me, and I try to stifle my giggles as I look over at him, watching me. The grin on his face pulls more giggles out of me, and I feel completely under his control.

I clear my throat. “Maybe if I got to know you a little better.”

I’m not sure how getting to know Dane better would make me like or trust him any less, but I do still have questions I want answered. There are things that still don’t sit right with me and haven’t since I found out he lied about everything when I first met him.

“Ask me anything. I’m an open book.”

I make a face at his comment. “Are you going to be honest this time?”

“I was honest last time! I just couldn’t bereallyhonest.”

“Alright, fine. Are you going to bereallyhonest this time?”

“Of course I will be. What’s your first question?”

“Are you going to ask me questions, too?”

“That’s your first question?”

“No it’s not. It’saquestion, but not one of my questions.”

“Alright. No, I’m not.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Why not?”

“Because I already know everything I need.”

The fluttering in my stomach is distracting. I can’t focus out of pure delight that he feels he knows me and trusts me, but guilt quickly takes over. I have been hiding a huge part of myself from him, a part that explains a lot of who I am and why I am here.

Maybe it is better that he isn’t asking me questions. I don’t want to lie, but I just don’t know if I am ready to be treated like a princess again.

“Are you ready?”

He sits quietly, waiting for me to ask my first question.

“Is Dane your real name?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have a last name?”

“I’m sure I do, but if I do, I don’t remember it.”