She squealed. Taking my hand, she led me to the family room. She sat on one end of the black leather couch and asked me to sit in a lounge chair across from her. She grabbed a blanket on the couch and placed it over her shoulders and then around her. She looked like a child excitedly waiting for a story.

"What did he tell you so far?"

She smiled. "He's King."

I smiled and nodded. "Yes, he is."

"How long has he been King?"

I shook my head. "Not long."

She cleared her throat. "Are there many of them? You know, Kings where he is? Or is he, like, it?"

I could understand where her question would come from. It really wasn't every day someone like us would meet royalty. I smiled, crossed my legs and placed my folded hands on my knees as I did. "He's it. The only one."

"How did he become King?"

I gave the question a thought and knowing how hurt Damien still was about his father's death, I answered, "His father had an accident. He didn't make it." I tried to keep it as vague as possible. "He doesn't like to talk about it. His father was all he had left."

She nodded in understanding and crept closer to the edge of the chair. "How long have you known each other?"

"Fifteen years, give or take? We were both kids."

"So. He's really as old as he looks? He was a kid recently?"

I arched an eyebrow. "Yes, we were both children when we met. He really is twenty-five."

Her lips formed into an Oh in understanding. "He'd mentioned that we live, you know, a long time."

I nodded. "Yes. His father was over two hundred years old."

"Wow," she breathed. She tugged at her hair and started to braid it nervously. "Wow, okay. So – how will that work out with you two being friends ... ? I mean, you're human ... "

I shrugged my shoulders. "He doesn't like to talk about it."

She grabbed a small throw pillow from the couch and placed it on her lap, wrapping her arms around it. She had a dreamy face on her, she placed a palm on her chin attentively. "What's he like? I mean, I know him a little bit. He's been answering some questions but what's he like? You've known him forever – is he," she paused.

I looked at her, trying to guess her next word.

"Kind?" she squeaked.

I wanted to laugh. The girl that had tormented me through most of my teen years was afraid someone wouldn't be kind to her.

There was a time when I thought she didn't deserve any sort of kindness. Wasn't worthy of it. But as I grew up I realized - she probably needed it more than most people.

Especially now.

I smiled and raked my fingers through my damp hair, still wet from the morning. "He's the kindest person I know."

I saw her visibly relax. "Really?"

I nodded and laughed. "And funny. I mean, he can be pretty intense – very serious - but once you get to know him, he really is one of the funniest, kindest people you will ever meet." A memory came to me. "Like, one time he went with me and my parents to the Christmas Tree lot down on Seventh."

Leah nodded indicating she knew what I was talking about.

"And we overheard a conversation between Mrs. Johnson and her sister who was in town visiting from Florida. Her kids were expecting snow but it had been unseasonably warm that month so it hadn't. The kids were pretty sad about it. Damien created snow, just for them. It snowed four inches that night. The kids loved it. The meteorologist was going crazy though – he'd never seen anything like it in his career, he said."

Leah smiled. "All because the kids were sad?"

I nodded. "Yes. He wouldn't admit it though."

"Then how did you know it was him?"

"He created a beanie for me – out of thin air - to protect me from the cold. I cut my hair really short that year, he was worried my ears would get cold." I laughed at the memory. "That was a great day."

She laughed. "I remember! How long ago was that? Maybe four years ago?"

I shrugged. "It was right after junior year, I think?"

"He's such a gentleman too," she remarked after a while.

I uncrossed my legs, getting comfortable in the lounge chair. "Yes. He's incredibly dependable too. He wouldn't do anything to let you down – calls you out if you're doing something wrong."

She sighed and comically fell to her side on the couch. "He's perfect!"

It was hard to argue with her conclusion. I'd always thought he was perfect both inside and out. Whoever dated him was a lucky girl, I'd always told myself.

She suddenly sounded sad. "I don't deserve him."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

She covered her face with the pillow. Her voice sounded muffled under the pillow. "I've always been so horrible to you, Emmy. I don't even know why – I guess it was in my nature? I just couldn't help myself when it came to you. To ask the guys to knock your books out of your hands, I guess I wanted to see how far I could push them. You were just so easy to pick on, you know?"

No, I don't know. I bit my tongue trying to keep myself from saying the words out loud. I couldn't jeopardize Damien being happy.

"Does he know?" Her muffled voice asked. "Does he know I did those mean things to you?"

Telling him had crossed my mind dozens of times back then but I never did. There was no reason why I couldn't tell her the truth. "I never told him anything about you or high school. He's never known that I was being picked on."

She placed the pillow down under her chin as she looked at me. "Why didn't you tell him? Isn't he your best friend?"

I bit my lip nervously. "Truthfully?"

She nodded.

I took a deep breath. "I was afraid of disappointing him," finally saying the words out loud. "That his best friend couldn't stand up for herself - meanwhile he's off learning how to fight in and lead an army and learning to rule an entire realm. Those kinds of troubles are insignificant compared to that. It kind of made me feel, unworthy?" I chuckled, feeling that familiar knot in my stomach.

Leah bit her lip. "I'm sorry."

I looked at her, taken aback by her apology.

She put the pillow back, covering her face. "You don't have to accept my apology. But I just want you to know I'm sorry for everything."

I took a breath pausing for several seconds. "I forgive you."

She looked at me, pulling the pillow down again. "Really?"

I nodded. "You're dating my best friend – I think our paths will continue to cross. Why not start with a clean slate?"

She looked like she let out a long shaky breath. "I'd like that."

I smiled. "Great. Something you should know – he loves Charlie Chaplin movies, 80's music and deck builders."

She looked at me with a slight turn of her head. "Deck builders?"

I nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, it's some of his favorite games. Don't blame him for his terrible taste in hip hop music though. And he makes a breathtaking Dungeon Master."

Her eyes widened, her voice raised in alarm. "He has people in his dungeon?"

I shook my head quickly, she obviously didn't get my reference. "Oh. Oh, no. No, no. Not that kind of dungeon. Dungeons & Dragons – it's a board game we play–"

"That nerd game?" She asked crinkling her nose.

I stifled a laugh. "Yes. And Mel Brooks is one of his favorite directors. He can recite Men in Tights from memory."

She stared. "What are you talking about?"

I laughed. "I can lend you my DVD if you like."

She looked at me out of the corner of her eye. "Did you two ever ..."

I frowned. "Did we ever ... what?"

She sighed and made some gesture with her hands. "You know!"

I looked at her horrified. "You mean have Damien and I ever dated?"

She nodded, sheepishly.

I spoke more forcefully than I meant to. "Oh, no. No, no. Never. He's not supposed to be with humans."

She smiled and I noticed that a sort of weight lifted off her shoulders. "He could have fooled me, the way he speaks about you –"

I crossed my arms. "I don't think so. The thought never crossed our minds."

I was lying. It had come up at least once before.

Damien had taken me to a small concert by my favorite indie band out of state. It was at a small winery during their summer concert series.

I was intoxicated despite the local police's effort to discourage underage drinking. I'd gotten my hands on a couple of glasses of wine under Damien's watchful eye. I'd grabbed some discarded vines from the fields, braided them in my short hair and spent most of the day dancing as the band played.

After the band had packed up for the day and everyone began to leave we stayed behind. I laid on the grass in inebriated euphoria, watching the sky change colors as the sun set. Damien didn't seem to mind staying after with me. He lounged next to me on the grass as I continued to sing out loud.

"Thinking about leaving anytime soon?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No. Just a little while longer. Please? Look, the fireflies are coming out."

I placed my hand out and watched as the little lights began to appear in the darkening sky.

"You've never seen fireflies?" he asked.

I shook my head again, slurring, "No, but I've always wanted to."

He picked up a blade of grass. "We don't have fireflies. We have little sprites of left over magic – sometimes they linger in the woods."

I turned towards him too. "How come I haven't seen them?"

"They don't cross into the human world, you'd have to cross over to my world."

"Do you think you will ever take me?"

He didn't answer but watched as a group of girls walked past us nearby.

I heard the snickers as they passed. "Wow, he's so hot."

"I wouldn't mind laying down next to him," one giggled.

I sighed, annoyed. There wasn't ever a time that Damien didn't draw some sort of attention. I'd noticed the stares as we stood in the crowds earlier in the day and now as the only two people left in the small field in front of the small stage. "Don't you get the least bit annoyed at the attention?"

He gave a crooked smile. "Not at all."

They continued. "He's too hot for her. She's so ugly."

I rolled my eyes before shouting with slurred words. "I can hear you, you know!"

I suddenly felt his arm around me, and with small effort, he pulled me closer to him. He was almost over me, his chest pressing me down to the grass. He placed his fingers on my chin making me look at his perfect features. "Don't listen to them."

We were closer than we'd ever been, noses almost touching. I froze in his arms. "What are you doing?" His eyes scanned my face as he spoke, almost like he was gauging my reaction, seeing how far he could push.

"Succeeding in making them jealous," he purred.

The moment was gone and I relaxed a little.

I rolled my eyes again. "You're ridiculous. I don't care what they think." I hoped I didn't sound as drunk as I felt.

"You don't?" He asked almost knowing.

His amethyst eyes burned into mine and eventually I looked away. "Maybe a little."

He looked up ahead and spoke towards the group of girls that had just passed us by. I didn't notice that they lingered nearby checking Damien out as he spoke to me. "Do you mind? My girlfriend and I are having a moment and your eavesdropping is incredibly annoying."

I snorted and covered my face with my hands.

"Rude! Get a room!" One of the girls said annoyed.

I heard their footsteps recede and when I looked up, the girls were gone.

"We should get going, Em," he finally said.

I started to giggle. "That sounded weird, you know."

"What did?"

"Girlfriend," I giggled.

"Would you want that?" He asked with a smirk.

I stretched while simultaneously trying to place more space between us by moving away. "You know that can't ever happen," I laughed.

He sat up, letting me go, the setting sun behind him casting different colors across the sky. "I'm the prince. I can do anything I want."

"Yes, you are," I sighed, leaning on my elbow on the grass. "As Prince, you have too many responsibilities to be with a human. Besides, you're immortal, I'm not."

"That again," he groaned.

I cursed myself for bringing up the sensitive subject under my drunken stupor. I momentarily forgot how much the topic hurt him. I reached out to grab his shoulder as he turned away. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

He grabbed my hand before I touched his shoulder. He didn't let it go and pulled me closer, our faces were inches apart again. "You wouldn't want this?"

I gulped aware of how his eyes scanned my lips. "I think we should go home."

He laughed letting my hand go and standing. He patted his pants and shirt taking the stray grass off. He extended a hand towards me which I took.

He helped me up quickly which made me stumble back into his arms.

"Sorry," he breathed.

He was as drunk as I was, I realized. I didn't think he drank that much ...

I thought he was watching out for me. Maybe he was drinking more than I'd thought?

The tension between us was palpable and before I could say anything, he was already looking around the space to make sure it was safe for us to disappear back home.

We didn't bring it up again.

I chalked it up to us both being inebriated that day. There was no way Damien could have feelings for me. Me, a lowly human compared to the god that was the Prince of the Underworld.

I never thought about it again.

Until Leah brought it up.

Her voice echoed in my mind, "He could have fooled me, the way he speaks about you."

"It would never happen," I said firmly to Leah.

She looked at something behind me, fully alert. "He's here."

I turned towards the backyard behind me. Damien was a stark difference to the coral stone background behind him of the pool with the waterfall.

I laughed at the imagery. I spoke to him through the closed doors and windows suspecting he could somewhat hear me. "How long have you been eavesdropping?"

He appeared before me instantly. My hair fluttered in the small breeze his appearance created. "Not long."

I laughed as I watched Leah practically fall out of her chair to the floor.

She looked at me amazed. "How did you get used to that?"

"It took me months. He'd practice his magic with me." I turned to him. "Do you remember when you'd scare the daylights out of my babysitter?"

He didn't look bothered and only shrugged. "She deserved it. She barely paid attention to anything outside of the TV."

As I laughed, he bumped my shoulder with his. "Where have you been? I've been texting you all morning."

I reached into my bag and handed him my battered phone. "Fatality of yesterday along with my glasses," I joked.

He took it. "Are you getting replacements?"

"Yeah," I said readjusting my sunglasses on my head. "I really can't go very far without either ..." my voice trailed as I noticed how Leah watched Damien.

There was so much wanting in her gaze. It looked like she already fell for him, as fast as it happened in the books I'd buried my face in long ago.

When I looked at Damien he didn't look at her in the same way. In fact, he was only looking at me.

And by the look on her face, Leah definitely noticed. Her voice echoed in my mind again, "He could have fooled me, the way he speaks about you..."

But he wasn't looking at me that same way ... was he?

His eyes met mine as I spoke, the way any other person would when they were in conversation. But there was something else ... That longing I'd just seen in Leah's eyes ...

I cleared my throat and looked towards Leah, breaking eye contact with Damien. "So, what are the plans for today for the two of you?"

Leah looked towards Damien for his answer.

Damien's eyes finally shifted towards Leah and I watched as he turned on the charm. "How would you feel about a little tour of your home?"

She frowned. "My home?"

He nodded. "Your real home."

It was as if he had just offered her all of the riches in the world, the way her face suddenly changed. She went from resentment to bewilderment then finally to complete and utter fascination. "My real home?" she barely whispered.

He nodded as he extended a hand towards her, never letting go of her gaze.

It kind of reminded me of the way Prince Charming looked at Cinderella at the ball.

She gingerly placed the hand in his and stood, the blanket over her shoulders pooling around her feet.

Instantly, they were gone.