Chapter 196: Fishing For Moments
Rosalind should have been focused, yet here she was spiralling inwardly, and she even facepalmed herself mentally for it.
To shift the conversation away from herself, she leaned slightly across the boat. "So... have you caught any fish yet?" she asked.
Rowan settled himself properly on the edge of the boat, facing the opposite direction from her. "Not yet," he answered, glancing toward the water. "Just give it a while and they’ll come around."
Rosalind nodded in understanding as she watched him.
And indeed, after a short while, the fishing line gave a sudden tug. Rowan pulled it up with practiced ease, and Rosalind leaned forward in anticipation as the line rose higher and higher until a fish finally came into view.
She tilted her head slightly, then glanced at him."This one seems small," she said.
Rowan dropped it into the basket and said, "The bigger ones will come soon enough."
Not long after, the line tugged again, and this time Rowan pulled up a fish that was noticeably larger than the first. Rosalind’s eyes lit up in excitement. After a few more successful catches, she leaned over the basket, narrowing her eyes at them with deep consideration. "Do you think we’ve caught the whole family?" she asked seriously.
Rowan turned to her, amusement already visible in his expression.
Rosalind pointed as she began to explain with full seriousness, "This looks like the sister, and this one the brother, and this one... this one looks like their father."
Rowan’s lips curled into a smile. "Where did you even get that idea from?"
"I just thought of it," she replied simply.
He shook his head, amusement lingering as the silence settled between them.
The breeze drifted gently across the sea, rocking the boat softly from side to side, and after a moment Rosalind turned toward him once more. "I want to ask something," she began.
Rowan looked at her immediately, giving her his full attention. "What is it?"
Rosalind hesitated briefly before the words slipped out anyway. "When did you start liking me?" she asked softly.
Rowan paused, clearly caught off guard. He wasn’t expecting that. Rosalind tilted her head slightly as she watched him. "Was it at the cave?" she guessed.
The cave. He remembered it instantly. The moment he had kissed her impulsively, believing at the time that he had ruined everything, only to find that it had instead brought them here.
"It wasn’t at the cave," Rowan said.
Rosalind watched quietly as he continued, "It was long before that... Not one moment but many small moments I never noticed until it was too late. The cave was just when I finally acted on it."
Rosalind absorbed his words. "Then why didn’t you ever say anything?" she asked.
Rowan’s gaze softened. "You were so eager to leave the palace at that time. I didn’t want to force you into anything because of my feelings, especially when you clearly didn’t want anything to do with anyone."
He paused briefly before adding, "Besides, you were quite feisty back then. Always irritated... I probably would’ve gotten slapped if I had confessed."
Rosalind’s lips curled slightly, embarrassed now. "I wouldn’t have done that."
Rowan raised a brow, unconvinced. He honestly wasn’t so sure about that, especially given what she had done to Alaric.
Who was he?
Rowan looked at her quietly then, before asking in return, "So, when did you start liking me?"
Rosalind narrowed her eyes slightly as she thought about it. "I wouldn’t say it was immediate," she admitted.
Rowan shook his head faintly, remembering how irritated they both had been with each other at the beginning.
"It started when I noticed you were always there... Even when I wasn’t asking ," she continued softly.
"You always protected me, always made me feel safe. I tried not to think too much about it at first, but after the cave... that kiss made me start thinking differently. And after that, I guess I just... liked you." Her voice softened toward the end, and the words lingered between them as the sea moved quietly around the boat.
Rowan looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before speaking. "Then I’m glad that happened," he said.
"Me too," Rosalind replied, because if it hadn’t happened then, she wouldn’t have even considered that something like this between them was possible.
She exhaled lightly, letting her gaze drift for a moment over the water. "It still feels like yesterday," she added.
"Doesn’t it?" Rowan asked in return.
The silence between them lingered briefly, comfortable and unbroken, until something suddenly tugged at the fishing line and drew both of their attention. Rowan reacted immediately, pulling the line in with steady hands, and this time a fairly large fish broke the surface.
Rosalind leaned forward in excitement as she watched it come closer to the boat, and once it was dropped into the basket, Rowan turned toward her with a slight tilt of his head.
"Does this look like the ’mama fish’?" he asked, clearly continuing her earlier playful naming.
Rosalind looked up at him and immediately burst into laughter. "You’re so ridiculous," she said.
"No," he replied with a teasing smile, "you are."
Then he leaned back slightly and gestured toward the rod. "Come, let me show you how to do it."
Rosalind reached for his hand as he guided her closer, and he steadied her with ease. "You’re fine, don’t worry," Rowan assured her just as the boat shifted slightly beneath them. He adjusted his stance before demonstrating properly, showing her how to hold and cast the fishing rod. Then he stepped back and let her take it.
Rosalind gripped it carefully, focusing. "What do you think I’m going to catch?" she asked him.
"Something worth keeping," he replied calmly.
Rosalind waited patiently, eyes fixed on the water as she hoped a fish would take the bait soon, and Rowan watched her with a small smile at her eagerness while she stayed completely focused. Eventually, the line tugged, and her eyes widened slightly as she leaned forward. "Rowan... it’s here," she said.
"Just pull it like I said," he instructed calmly, and she began to pull with more force than necessary.
"Don’t do it like that, Rosalind," he said gently, steadying her rather than rushing her, but just as the fish broke the surface it slipped free and dropped back into the water with a splash.
Rosalind’s shoulders fell slightly in disappointment, but Rowan only exhaled softly, still calm as he reassured her, "We have all day here."
