Chapter 29 — The Problem Between Us
The next morning, Mia sat at the breakfast table, scrolling through the schedule her secretary had sent her.
Nathan walked into the dining room a few minutes later, still reading a document.
"Good morning," he said.
"Morning."
He pulled out the chair beside her and sat down.
For a few minutes, neither of them said anything.
Then Mia reached for the glass of juice at the exact same moment Nathan reached for it.
Their hands touched.
They both stopped.
Mia looked at him.
Nathan looked at her.
For some reason, the moment suddenly felt strangely familiar.
They both remembered the kitchen.
The dining room.
The sofa.
And all the other times their faces had gotten too close lately.
Mia quickly withdrew her hand.
"You take it."
Nathan raised an eyebrow. "You were reaching for it first."
"I don't want it anymore."
"You were literally reaching for it."
"I changed my mind."
Nathan gave a small laugh and took the glass.
Mia shook her head and returned to her phone.
They had barely gone back to breakfast when Nathan leaned over to look at something on her screen.
"What are you reading?"
"My schedule."
"Let me see."
He moved closer.
Mia turned the phone toward him.
They both leaned in at the same time.
Their noses almost touched.
They froze.
Mia immediately leaned back.
Nathan did the same.
Silence.
Then Mia sighed.
"This is becoming ridiculous."
Nathan looked at her.
"I know."
She placed her phone on the table.
"We need to talk."
Nathan nodded.
"I was thinking the same thing."
---
Later that afternoon, they were in the palace library working on some documents.
Mia stood beside the large bookshelf, searching for a particular file.
"I know it's somewhere here," she muttered.
Nathan walked over.
"Which one?"
"The blue folder."
"There are six blue folders."
"The one with the gold label."
Nathan looked at the shelf.
"I see it."
He reached up.
At the same moment, Mia stepped closer to point at it.
Nathan turned around.
Mia was standing directly in front of him.
Neither moved.
Their eyes met.
Mia's expression changed immediately.
"Don't."
Nathan blinked.
"I didn't do anything."
"You were about to."
"I was getting the folder."
"I know."
Nathan slowly reached past her and took the folder.
As he handed it to her, their fingers touched.
They both stared at each other for a second.
Then Nathan laughed.
"We're becoming ridiculous."
Mia couldn't help laughing too.
"This is exactly what I'm talking about."
She walked toward the desk.
Nathan followed.
They sat across from each other.
Mia folded her arms.
"Okay. Let's be serious."
Nathan nodded.
"We keep accidentally kissing."
"Yes."
"And it's happening more often."
"Yes."
"And neither of us is actually trying to do it."
"Definitely not."
Mia narrowed her eyes.
"Good. Because I don't want you thinking I'm doing it on purpose."
Nathan smiled.
"I never said that."
"And don't start."
"I won't."
Mia paused.
"Then what are we supposed to do?"
Nathan leaned back in his chair.
"I don't know."
"That is not helpful."
"I could suggest we stop getting so close to each other."
Mia thought about it.
"That sounds reasonable."
"Then we'll do that."
"Agreed."
They shook hands across the desk.
"Deal," Mia said.
"Deal."
For approximately ten seconds, everything was peaceful.
Then Mia noticed a small piece of dust on Nathan's collar.
"Wait."
She stood and walked around the desk.
"You have something there."
Nathan looked down.
"Where?"
"Right there."
Mia reached toward his collar.
Nathan turned his head at the exact moment she leaned closer.
Their lips brushed.
Again.
They both froze.
Mia slowly pulled away.
Nathan stared at her.
Neither spoke.
Then Mia covered her face with both hands.
"Oh, come on!"
Nathan burst out laughing.
"This is getting worse."
"You turned!"
"You leaned closer!"
"I was removing dust!"
"I didn't know that!"
Mia dropped her hands.
"We just made a rule!"
Nathan was still laughing.
"And broke it immediately."
Mia tried not to laugh.
She failed.
Soon they were both laughing so hard that the tension disappeared.
---
That evening, Mia was walking through the garden when Nathan joined her.
They walked side by side beneath the lights.
For once, neither of them felt awkward.
Mia glanced at him.
"Do you think this is going to keep happening?"
Nathan considered the question.
"I hope not."
Mia nodded.
"Me too."
A pause.
"But…"
Nathan looked at her.
"But what?"
Mia shrugged.
"It doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would."
Nathan was quiet for a moment.
"Me neither."
Mia looked ahead.
"I think it's because we're comfortable around each other."
"Probably."
"We've known each other since we were children."
Nathan smiled.
"You used to follow me everywhere."
"I did not."
"You absolutely did."
"I was making sure you didn't get into trouble."
"You once watched me climb a tree and then laughed when I got stuck."
"You deserved it."
Nathan laughed.
Mia smiled.
For a moment, everything felt just like before.
Except it wasn't.
They weren't children anymore.
They were married.
And somewhere along the way, their friendship had begun changing into something neither of them had a name for yet.
Nathan glanced at her.
Mia caught him looking.
"What?"
"Nothing."
She raised an eyebrow.
"You're staring."
"I was thinking."
"About?"
Nathan looked away.
"About how strange all of this is."
Mia smiled softly.
"It is."
They continued walking.
--------
That night, Mia stood in front of her bedroom mirror, thinking about everything that had happened.
The accidental kisses.
The laughter.
The way Nathan had looked at her.
She touched her lips briefly before immediately lowering her hand.
"What is happening to us?"
Across the palace, Nathan was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
He was thinking about the same thing.
Neither of them was ready to call it love.
Neither wanted to rush anything.
But they both knew one thing now.
The accidental kisses weren't the only thing changing between them.
Something else was beginning.
And neither Mia nor Nathan was quite brave enough to say it out loud.