“Oh, gods,” Hartley paled. “They’re coming back.” He began to fidget nervously as Penelope and Kip walked towards them.

“Calm down,” Crow said, although he felt just as anxious as the boy. He clenched his hands into fists at his sides, forcing himself to follow his own advice.

“But what if she turns me down?” Hartley swallowed. “What if she doesn’t want to marry me anymore?”

“What if she does?” Crow turned to him. “Is that the face you want to show her if she says she wants you to court her again? Have a little pride.”

“You’re right,” Hartley squeezed his eyes shut and took a steeling breath. When he opened them again, there was new resolve in his expression. He stood, still trembling slightly, as Kip approached him.

[color=fdc68a][b]“L-Let’s go talk somewhere...”[/b][/color] she girl said quietly.

“O-okay,” Hartley’s voice cracked in anticipation. He coughed in an awkward attempt to hide it as Kip reached to take his hand and lead him away. The boy cast one final glance back at Crow, who offered a reassuring nod, before he took off with her.

“So, she decided to take him back, after all,” Crow murmured when Penelope said everything would work out between the two. “That’s good. Hartley was a nervous wreck.” He turned to look at her, unable to help but notice how good she looked even in the low light of the evening.

Now it was his turn to feel anxious. Hartley was going to get the answer he had been waiting for, but Crow had no idea how Penelope would react if he told her the truth. Perhaps she had some idea already about how he felt towards her, but one offhanded comment couldn’t tell her the full weight of his emotions. Besides, even if she did know, he had no clue if she loved him too—or if she was even attracted to him, for that matter.

[i]Stop thinking,[/i] Crow repeated the command in his mind. He couldn’t lie to himself any longer. He wasn’t okay with just staying friends with Penelope. It was torturous to him to have her so close, yet unable to have her close enough. Whether she felt the same way or not, he needed to have some closure. He took a shaky breath, [i]To hell with palace raids.[/i] This [i]is the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do in my life.[/i]

“Take a walk with me,” he said, breaking the silence between them. His nervous green eyes met hers. “I think we need to talk about something too.”