"I'm sorry," he murmured, looking me in the eyes with a tendered expression. "I should have let you explain yesterday, and then you would not have gotten hurt. This is all my fault."
“No, it’s not. You are not the one who did this to me. How could this be your fault?”
"If I had listened to you yesterday, I would have known that you were not behind this. You would not have been here alone with him."
"Alex," I put my hand on his cheek, trying to draw his eyes once more, "this is not your fault. If I had told you what I suspected sooner, none of this would have happened. We both made a mistake, but it is no one's fault except for Lucas."
“They’re going to sue me, Agotia.”
His shoulders slumped a bit as he spoke, and then he was dabbing the cut. I stopped noticing the sting when I felt his fingers on my skin.
“What are you talking about?”
"If I don't find those snuff boxes and turn the complete collection to the museum, they will sue me. And with the media storm that Bridget has caused, a lawsuit is the last thing I need right now."
“I think I know where they are.”
Once Alex had decided my face was as doctored as he wanted, we left to search the snuff boxes. I spent the drive telling him the spot Lucas used to take me when we were young so he could show me the things he had stolen. I was no longer allowed to go out there once my father figured out what Lucas was doing.
“I’ve only seen it once or twice,” I hedged, “and it’s been more than a decade since I was last out here; I can’t think of anywhere else that he would hide them.”
“After you,” Alex gestured.
We trekked through the forest, staying on the hiking trail for most of the walk. It was quiet, but the air was tense and awkward between us. The moment we shared in the bathroom felt close and intimate, but now, it felt like a gulf between us.
“Asta had a lot to say to me last night when I came home without you," he said, breaking the silence.
I chuckled, imagining her waving a spoon around as she gave Alex her unsolicited advice.
"I don't think I've ever been called an idiot so many times in such a short time."
“She did not call you an idiot,” I called over my shoulder.
"You are right; she didn't. But if she had, it would have been true."
I wanted to respond, but the words got stuck in my throat.
“Agotia, I -”
“This is it!”
Our words came out simultaneously, and I whirled around to face him. For a split second, he looked vulnerable, like he planned to share his most secret thought with me but wasn't sure how. I wanted to tell him how much I missed him, how glad I was that he came around; as I opened my mouth to speak, he beat me to the punch.
“Let’s find those snuff boxes.”
The years between my memories were far apart, and it was almost impossible to tell which tree was Lucas’ hiding spot. So, we just started snooping around. We would go from one tree to another, searching for holes. It took longer than I had expected, but it was a good time spent; our shared camaraderie shrunk the chasm between us.
Before long, we were back to laughing and joking the way we had been before this marriage business started. I realized how much my feelings for Alex had complicated this relationship. I didn't want this to be a facade anymore, yet I didn't know how to tell him that.
I was deep in thought, contemplating what exactly I was hoping to get out of this situation, when a glint of brass caught my attention.
“Alex, come look at this.”
I knelt on the ground where a rock covered the base of a tree, everything covered in leaves and moss. I started pulling the foliage away when Alex bent beside me to help.
“I think this is it,” he exclaimed, relief clear in his voice.
“I think so too,” I echoed, digging faster until Alex rolled the rock away and revealed a carved-out hole in the bottom of the tree.