Trey Atlas has 3 potential Valentines in Echinodea. Which one (if any) will he end up with?
Valentine #1--Ashley
“I don’t want you to leave,” Ashley said.
“You told me to go,” I reminded her.
“I was angry,” she said. “I didn’t mean it.”
“But you were right. If I don’t fit in here, which I don’t
anymore, I need to go to Atlantis. Besides, they need me to lead the
island to safety and prosperity.”
“Will you come back and visit?” Coal asked.
I paused, letting the silence speak for itself. “I hope to. But
I don’t know what’s going to happen in Atlantis. I don’t know what
my future holds anymore. I just know that it’s not here.”
Ashley hugged me, squeezing tight and not letting go. I
heard her sob before I felt tears against my cheeks. “You two should
go back to class before the teachers wonder where you are,” I said,
trying to avoid the emotions of goodbye. As unpredictable as my
future, Ashley kissed me.
Electricity flowed through me. Her arms wrapped around
me; her hands slid down my back and around to the sides of my
waist. My mind went into a tailspin of how to react. She was my
friend; I didn’t want to ruin that. But I was leaving anyway. So I had
no reason to not enjoy the heat of the moment. I ran my hands
down her sides to her hips. And just as I got into the passion, she
pulled away.
Valentine #2--Aerian
I felt the presence behind me and turned to find Aerian
standing there. "You really should be watching the fireworks with
the rest of us," she said. I turned back to the city as more light
exploded in the dark sky.
Aerian moved to my side. "I am sorry about earlier," she
said. "I need to be stronger so that I can be of use to you. You
need my help to lead this island."
"That wasn't leading. That was being selfish," I told her.
"I'm the one that should be apologizing to you, and to the others as
well."
"Trey, I know what it feels like to lose your family. You feel
like you do not belong anywhere. There are quite a few of us in your
court that have that experience. We can support each other."
"I know," I said. "It's just that this makes me feel so isolated
and alone."
"But you are not alone. You have all of us."
"I'm not sure I deserve that."
"You do." She placed her hand on my shoulder and turned
me to face her. "You are young, you gave up your life from another
world, and you feel out of place and alone. We understand that and
will work with you to help you overcome it. But we need you to help
us as well. We need to trust each other. No more secrets."
I moved toward her and placed my lips on hers. It was the
only thing that felt right at that moment. No more secrets. Her lips
were soft and moist; she smelled sweet. My senses were in overload.
My hands needed something to do so I placed them on her sides,
pulled her closer to me--until we were nearly locked together, and
moved them slowly down to her hips.
In a quick jolt, Aerian pushed away. "No. We cannot do
that."
Valentine #3--Lysandra
“What did you dream about when you were a little girl?”
“I...well...,” she paused and thought for a moment. No one
had ever asked her that question before. “I guess I just imagined that
I would end up living a life in the mines. I figured I would marry
another cave dweller and we would have a family and I would spend
my life taking care of that family.”
“Were you happy with that dream?” I asked. I saw right into
her soul. I knew the answer before she said it.
“No. I would like to do much more but I do not see any
other way. That is our way of life.” I took notice to the way she said
‘do not’ instead of ‘did not’. She still thought that she didn’t have
options.
“So you plan to go back to the mines?”
“My parents want to go back--it is all they have ever
known.” She waited a moment, her eyes watching me as we walked.
“So I will go too.”
“But you don’t want to,” I pointed out what she didn’t say.
“There is no other way for me,” she said.
I stopped and moved in close to her. I took her hand in
mine. My body sparked with energy and passion unlike ever before.
That was the first time I’d ever felt everything stop, as if we were the
only two people that existed in the world. Nothing else mattered.
I glided my head toward hers but stopped just short of
touching her lips with mine. I could feel her breath; hear her heart
beat. She was as nervous as I was. “What if there is another way?”
I whispered, intimately.
Her smile took all of my hesitation away. I pressed my lips
to hers and felt her body relax into my arms as I wrapped them
around her. I slid one hand to the back of her waist and the other
into her hair. Her arms interlocked around my back pulling me tight
against her. I ran my hands down her back, over the soft material of
her dress, going as low as I felt she’d let me without pulling away.
I heard the clearing of a throat and strained to look out the
corner of my eye.
