Elena must have been a fool, because she turned a bright shade of red when the third gift arrived in three days.

“Elena, these are beautiful,” her mother exclaimed as she looked at the pearl set.

Elena grabbed them from her. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t want them!”

She stormed to her room and pulled out the box under the bed. It already housed a strapless satin dress and an antique perfume bottle with the puffer ball attached. She knew the gifts must have cost a fortune, but she didn’t want them. And it wasn’t as if Jason didn’t know she wasn’t that type of girl. She wore overalls! Not these. She threw in the small rectangular container and shoved the box back in place.

Elena went to the window as she did every time she wanted to go outdoors, just to check for any sign of Jason. She hadn’t been near him since that night in the barn over a week ago. She had almost forgotten what having sex with him had been like and how she had felt in the moment. She thought about it, but the memory didn’t feel like her own. It was as if she was spying on someone else’s experience and living through them. She welcomed that surreal feeling that made her feel less like an idiot.

When she saw no sign of him, she stole out to the back and went about her business feeding the pigs and cleaning out the watering trough. She stood outside the barn, reluctant to go in, fearful of the memories that would greet her. It was the one place she went where she couldn’t fool herself. She was always reminded that the memories were in fact hers and that she had done the unthinkable.

She inhaled deeply, the bucket swinging in her hand, and walked slowly to the barn. She half expected to find him there and was slightly disappointed when she didn’t. She couldn’t get a handle on the emotions connected to switches inside her head. In one moment, she was angry at him for taking advantage of her. In another, she was angry at herself for letting him get close to her. And in yet another, she wanted to see him. Elena wanted to go to his cottage and enjoy his company.

So many times, while she camped out in her room, she wanted to run to him. She stole moments by the door, listening to his voice when he came looking for her. Elena remembered how his lips had felt as they slowly caressed hers. She had never been kissed like that, never been held, never been made love to. She hadn’t imagined how it would be the first time, but she was sure what she got was far better than anything she could have thought about.

She let out the breath and made her rounds, cleaning the stalls and feeding and playing with the horses before going to the pig sty. As she tended to the animals, she was jumpy—she expected to turn and find him standing outside the pen. But he was never there, and she only got angrier at herself. By the time she finished with her chores, she was fuming.

“Elena, what’s wrong?” her mother called as her daughter stomped through the kitchen.

“Nothing,” she mumbled.

“Nathan was looking for you,” she called after her as she disappeared down the hall.

“I’ll see him in a minute,” she told her and slammed her door.

She lay on the bed, feeling like a replica of herself. She felt like she was in a small room with no windows and the walls were beginning to cave in. She started to hyperventilate, and she closed her eyes and tried to think calming thoughts. All that came to mind was Jason.

“Aah!” she cried and grabbed the pillow. She placed it over her head as she released all her frustrations. She had no idea what to do—even staying away no longer gave her pleasure. She had given him her body, and her soul went with it—like she was now his and ultimately fighting a losing battle.

Her chest was still heaving when she heard a knock on the door. “Elena?”

She tossed the pillow aside and sat upright. “Yeah, Nate, come in.” She expected him to burst in and dive on top of her like he used to. She was surprised when she saw what he bore.

“You got flowers,” he grinned. “They’re pretty.”

Elena could hardly believe it. It was evident she would have to stop this nonsense. Didn’t he understand she could not be bought? That these gifts weren’t helping?

“Yes, they are,” she said through gritted teeth. “Give them to me.” She took them from him. She pulled out the box and stuffed them in like she did the others.

“Why’d you put it there?” Nathan asked with his childlike innocence.

“It’s where I put the special things,” she said with a plastic smile. She reached out and grabbed him and tickled him. “Now, what do you want?”

“Nothing. Nothing.” He laughed hysterically as she tickled him until his body grew limp and he slithered to the floor. “Stop, Elena. Mom!”

She was laughing by this time. “That will teach you to bring me flowers.”

He stopped laughing. “But I thought flowers were a good thing. It would be bad if I brought you a frog. Does this mean you’re going to marry the prince?”

His question took her off-guard. “No, it doesn’t mean that.” She pulled him to her and hugged him. “I’m not going to leave you.”

“That’s okay,” Nathan whispered against her hair. “I think the prince is nice.”

That was definitely not what she had hoped to hear from him, and it took her by surprise. “Have you been talking to Prince Jason?”

“Not really. But he comes here a lot. And he brings nice things. One time, he gave me a whistle. It’s in my room. You wanna see it?” His eyes lit up, like the prince had given him an island and not simply a whistle.

“Maybe another time. I think I want to lie down now,” she told him and ruffled his hair.

“Okay,” he said sadly as his face dropped.

“Oh, come on. I’ll play parcheesi with you later. Deal?”

His eyes shone again. “Deal.”

Elena watched as he left the room before closing the door after him. She didn’t want to be disturbed again—not when she wasn’t sure which way was up. She fell asleep, and when she got up, it was dark. She joined her family for dinner and a game of parcheesi afterwards, much to Nathan’s delight. No one said anything about Prince Jason, but the question was clearly at the forefront of everyone’s mind—what was Elena going to do about him?

No one dared ask, and she was glad they didn’t. She had hoped her father would protect her from him, but she could easily see that was not possible. Not after she had given him the key to her heart without even knowing it.

Jason didn’t come by the following morning, or the next, but that didn’t stop his gifts from coming. By day five, Elena had had enough. She grabbed the box filled with all sorts of gifts from him and went outside. Her parents peered at her through the kitchen window, but they didn’t need to ask what she was going to do.

She was enraged as she made one angry step after another, each one bringing her closer to the source of her anguish. Her breathing got shallower the closer she got to the cottage. She passed Charlotte along the way, who stepped right in front of her. She had been so distracted she almost ran into her. The girl put her hand on the box Elena carried and flashed her a curious glance.

“What’s all this?” she asked as she grabbed one of the smaller boxes inside.

“None of your business,” Elena spat. They had never gotten along before, and she wasn’t in the mood for small talk.

“Yes, it is!” She grabbed Elena’s arm, pinching it in the process. Elena pulled back, and the box was dislodged from her grip and threatened to fall. She balanced it on her right knee and started walking again. “Where are you going?”

“Charlotte, get out of my face!” She glared at the stubborn woman, the anger boiling to a critical point inside her.

Charlotte grew red in the face as she stepped aside. “You’d better stay away from him. I don’t even know what he sees in you. Look at you. Full of mud and shit.”

Elena paused in her steps and a tiny gurgling laughter escaped her. “How sad for you, that he prefers shit over you.”

“You…” she began and lunged at Elena, who sidestepped her. She charged so hard that, missing Elena, she lost her balance and fell. Someone started laughing in the yard to Elena’s right. Charlotte, completely embarrassed, stomped off, brushing the dirt from her pretty dress.

“Don’t mind her,” Mrs. Rogers, the woman who had witnessed the brawl, called. “Charlotte has always been a mean one.”

“I remember,” Elena replied and continued on her way.

She hoped she wouldn’t run into any more disgruntled women. She had enough on her plate to deal with. Being in close proximity to Jason was taking a toll on her. Her legs wobbled as she reached the gate, and she was slightly grateful she didn’t see him. She wanted to give him a piece of her mind but didn’t feel like it was time for it. He wasn’t out of her system just yet.

She hurried up the steps and placed the box at the top. She stood, ready to go, when she heard the door open. Her heartbeats echoed in her ears when she saw him standing in front of her—only an arm’s length away.

Before she could run, he grabbed her arm and pulled her inside. “What the hell are you doing? You can’t—”

The next thing she felt was his lips on hers. Her eyes remained wide open and her body seemed paralyzed, sufficient to provoke memories she had been trying so hard to disown.

He touched her waist, and as his lips slid gently over hers, she felt her lips begin to move as well. She knew she wanted him, and she was almost relieved he still wanted her. Her body unfroze, and her hands moved to grip his hips. She felt him get hard against her, and the moans escaped her before she had a chance to rein them in. The phrase what are you doing echoed in her head, but she didn’t want to stop. She had run for so long, and now the emotions had caught up with her.

He pulled her closer to him, crushing her to his hardened chest as his hand dipped lower and squeezed her ass. His breathing came out in ragged gasps, and she clung to him as her tongue darted inside his mouth. She wanted him to fill her, ready to make love to him again. Her body screamed for him, just before she felt a chill on her lips as he pulled away from her.