I walked by my parents as we all made our way to the clearing in front of the mountains, where our amphibious chopper was kept. While waiting in line, someone brushed against my right arm. To my surprise, it was Heath.

“Oh, hi,” I said.

“Hi.”

I hung back from my parents, letting them board first. Then Heath climbed up onto the ramp before extending a hand down to me.

“Thanks,” I said, uncertain of why he was suddenly showing me this attention.

To my further surprise, he kept hold of my hand as we moved through the aircraft. We passed Arwen and Brock, sitting together now. There were two seats free next to them, but as we approached, Brock splayed out his legs over them. Arwen and Brock glared up at us.

“These seats are reserved,” Brock said. “Move along, traitors.”

I chuckled, while Heath rolled his eyes. If they had really wanted to keep their relationship under wraps longer, they should have made themselves invisible in the woods so that Heath and I couldn’t pull off our prank.

We kept moving along. The seats were mostly filled up already, but as we neared the front, we spotted two empty ones in a row and sat down. As the helicopter took off, I gazed out through the window at our disappearing island. I always felt a bit sick taking off, so I was glad that Heath remained quiet.

About half an hour into the flight, however, he cleared his throat and said, “Do you mind if I talk to you about something?”

My eyes widened as I turned to him. “Of course you can,” I said. “About what?”

He looked uncomfortable as he scanned the seats around us. There wasn’t much privacy here. But what would he want to say to me in private?

He nodded toward the galley. “Care to join me in there?”

“Sure.” I might have jumped to my feet a little too enthusiastically.

We entered the galley, which was currently empty, and moved to the far end of the room. I realized now how hard my heart was pounding. What does he want to tell me?

His navy-blue eyes locked with mine. “First, I want to say that it’s been great getting to know you better recently.” He hesitated, glancing furtively at the door. “I’m, uh, also aware of… how should I put it… certain rumors going around.”

I winced internally.

“Back in The Woodlands, when Brock made that comment about me asking you out, it got me thinking that I should be straight with you.”

I was hardly breathing at this point. “Straight with me about what?”

“Grace… I’ve sworn myself to a path of celibacy until I am twenty-three.”

Oh, wow.

I stared at him, speechless.

I never could have seen that coming. Although now that I thought about it, I’d actually never seen him with a girlfriend. It had been an assumption in my mind due to his, well, godlike good looks and swoon-worthy countenance.

“Um,” I stammered, “do you mind telling me why?”

He smiled. “Of course not. It’s been a tradition for the men in my father’s family for centuries. It strengthens a dragon’s character. But also, I will be leaving for The Hearthlands next year to pursue the occupation of a priest in the king’s court. Again, this was how my father spent his formative years.”

Oh, my. “Will you ever return?”

“Until I am twenty-three, I may come back to visit occasionally. After that, I may return to live on the island full-time, or I may remain in The Hearthlands. I can’t say for certain. I should also tell you that you’re the first person I’ve told. I planned to wait until next year before telling my friends… You seem upset,” he remarked.

“No, not upset! I, uh, just had no idea.” His words were still sinking in. I thought back over all the times I’d pined for him over the last year. My thoughts and hopes regarding him. My fantasies… But spurred by Heath’s confession, I felt an unexpected surge of confidence. Like I could tell him anything now. Like I no longer had to feel awkward around him.

“I’m going to be totally honest with you,” I said. “I’ve had an embarrassingly huge crush on you for, like, at least a year.”

Heath chuckled, then nodded. “Yeah, I know. Benedict has made it hard for anyone under the age of twenty on this island to not know. He’d make a great newscaster.”

I smiled more broadly, feeling rather touched that Heath had chosen to tell me first of all people. I appreciated the gesture.

Before either of us could say anything more, my great-grandfather Aiden strolled into the galley and began helping himself to some juice. Heath and I took that as our cue to leave.

As we returned to our seats, I wasn’t sure if I would ever fully stop crushing on Heath. It was hard to not admire a man so fine. But I wasn’t stupid enough to not read the hint he was giving me: move on. Get on with my life. Find someone else.

Stop being a lovesick puppy.

I felt strangely liberated throughout the rest of the journey. We spent it talking animatedly. Even Arwen and Brock broke their vow to ignore us and gazed at us over their seats. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Heath—the person beneath his intimidating, breathtaking exterior. He had a sharp sense of humor and struck me as an intelligent, collected person who thought much about the world and his future in it. I hoped that, even if we’d never be more than friends, this could be a friendship that would last.

Derek

We descended in the field bordering the township and touched down. As the hatch opened and we piled out, I already knew something was wrong.