Victoria

"This is weird." Victoria mumbles chewing on her burger. "Tell me about it." I thought being forced into a marriage was bad but being on a date is even worse.

"Oh look they're here." I look to the window to see a group of people with cameras. "Alright just laugh or something." Why would I?

"I dont feel like it."

"Well me neither but we have to do it for the media okay?" Her hand creeps over the table over mine as a weird warm tingle runs through my body. I think I might be getting sick.

"Your hands are sweaty." She comments making sigh in annoyance. "Well maybe if didn't grab my hand so tightly they would have more air to breathe." That was a lie she have a tight hold on my hand but in response she loosened it even further making a feeling of disappointment settle into my chest.

Only because shes still holding my hand of course.

"Isnt it weird how they just take photos without our consent?" I ask and she shrugs her shoulders. "Ive been through this my whole life so its pretty normal to me."

"Thats sad." I say. She never had a normal childhood where she could have fun and play with other kids. "No wonder you're such an asshole." Her eyebrows raise in response.

"What? It was probably hard making friends when all people cared about was your dad." I think I said the wrong thing because she takes her hand back clenching her jaw momentarily.

"It was for a little. But you just have to find a way to live with it I guess." I frown in response by how indifferent she is to all of this.

Shes never been able to make her own choices.

"Come on." I mutter getting up. She raises her eyebrows and I grab her arm pulling her up to me.

I don't know where im taking her or why I have the urge to get her away from all of this but I cant stop myself as we walk out of the restaurant.

"Katarina! Who's this lovely girl with you?" A man says as shes about to answer but I shove her in the car pressing my lips to her cheek. Thats all you guys get. My lips tingle in response as I walk around the car headed into the drivers seat.

I look to the side to see Kate astonished, grabbing her cheek. "What? Never gotten a kiss on the cheek before?"

"I have you just added to much slobber." She wipes her cheek and I feel myself blush in embarrassment.

"Whatever." I say clearing my throat to pretend her words didn't affect me. I drive around taking random left turns and right turns until eventually Kate breaks the silence.

"Where the hell are we going?"

"Shut up."

At that moment I find a secluded forest and I park the car getting out and stretching my legs. I hear the car door close to see Katarina with her hands on her hips looking at me like im a crazed serial killer or something.

"You know what this looks like right?" She questions.

"Like the beginning of a porn film?" I joke and her cheeks become a deep red. Wow I did that. Ive been making her quite embarrassed lately. I like it.

How the tables have turned.

"Come follow me." I murmur waving my hands as I walk on top of a bridge leading into a hiking trail. Footsteps trail behind me and I smile in response.

Shes good at following rules.

That sounded weird. Let me rephrase that. Actually... Theres no other way to rephrase that so I think I might just erase that from my memory and declare it as a intrusive thought.

A lake appears in my peripheral view and I walk towards it taking my boots off as I sit on the sand.

"Woah." I hear from behind me. "Do you usually come here?" She asks sitting besides me.

"Nope." I say popping the p. "I just found this place right now." I shrug. She gets up taking her shirt off and I look around surprised. "What the hell Kate?"

"What? Remember the lake we had back home? Don't you miss it?" She says undressing and my eyes stray away to the ground as I poke at it. "Yeah but like we also had bathing suits back then." I mutter.

"You think cavemen didnt shower in lakes without bathing suits." Shes really comparing us to cavemen?

"I think we're more intellectually developed now then we were back then." I say looking up to find her in her boxers and bra.

She motions to the lake and I huff getting up. "Come on don't act like you totally don't wanna get in there."

I mean it looks clean. The water is a really light blue which makes everything clear but the sun is setting down in an hour or so.

I hear a splash in the water and find Kate dunking herself inside completely. "Alright fine." I zip my dress down leaving it neatly folded as I dip my toes into the warm water.

"See? Its nice right? Get in." I swim waist deep into the water looking at the ground. "Are you still afraid of the animals?" She chuckles.

I look to the side ignoring her as I search around me for any type of fish. Back then I made sure my dad cleaned the water of any animals so I could enjoy it. Of course I asked him to relocate them to another pond because im not a total asshole.

"Oh shit! What is that!" At that moment I feel something slither across my calf and I scream grabbing onto Kate as she begins laughing.

"Chill. It was just my hand." She says and I hit her shoulder repeatedly. "Asshole."

"You can get off me now." She says yet I cant unwrap my legs off of her. "Im too scared to." I admit.

"So are you just gonna be on top of me the whole time." She questions and I look around us embarrassed. I finally find the courage to swim away still a few feet in front of her so that whatever tries to eat us eats her first and I have time to swim away.

"Just relax. Nothings gonna get you as long as I'm here." She says swimming towards me. "Unless its me." She says the last part quietly and then dunks me into the water quickly as I try to fight her off of me.

I wrap my legs around her thigh as I try getting enough momentum to switch our positions but she has a wide stance making it impossible to do so. I dunk my head fully in and wrap my leg around her hip finally getting some air.

A laugh rumbles through my chest as a sense of pride hits me. "I won." I beam.

"Did you?" She says with a gleam in her eye and I cant help but notice the hint of darkness behind them. What is she thinking about?

I slide off of her and a small gasp slips out of her mouth and my stomach flips at what I just did.

"Question."

"Shoot."

"Does your dick float in the water?" I ask as a joke to tease her but her eyes widen looking around anywhere else but me.

"Come on you have to answer it. Remember our deal? I let the whole sleeping in my bed thing pass but not this."

"Uhh well no it doesn't. Unless its you know. But thats only because its a natural-" I look at her fascinated by how nervous I made her.

I chuckle at Kates awkwardness ignoring the heat in my belly. "The sun is setting down. Im gonna get out."

I try wiping as much water as I can get off my body which is a complete fail because i'm completely drenched. "Wait here. I have a bag in the trunk."

She runs off as I look at the sun setting over the trees reflecting off of the water. A calmness washes over me at the quietness and beauty of everything.

"Here." A towel is wrapped around me as I dry myself off with it. "This isnt used right?" I wouldnt want to be drying myself with Kates sweaty soccer towel.

"Not sure if you see any white stains tell me though."

My eyes widen at her statement as I look up to see her giggling with a hand over her mouth. "I was joking. Its completely clean. This is just an extra bag in case I forget to bring one."

She sets two towels down on the floor and throws a sweater at my face with a pair of sweatpants.