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Veronica crossed her arms and fixed her gaze on the distant landscape, preferring to remain silent.
Leaning forward, I tried to catch Veronica's eye. “Everyone deserves a chance to make things right. We all make mistakes, right?”
Sabrina nudged Simon playfully, chuckling. “Simon’s got a PhD in blunders, haven’t you, dear?”
Simon grinned. “Guilty as charged. Not that I do it on purpose, but it does keep life interesting, I guess.”
Sabrina laughed, her eyes twinkling. “True, his mistakes are just little stumbles, nothing serious. We all get overwhelmed and slip up.” She gave him a quick kiss. “And making up is the best part, right?”
Simon raised his eyebrows suggestively. “Maybe I should cause trouble more often for those kisses.”
Amused by their exchange, Caleb nudged Daphne playfully.
She raised an eyebrow, feigning indignation. “What was that for?”
“Oops, that was a slip—must have been out of my mind for a second there,” Caleb said with a sheepish grin. “Forgive me?”
Daphne’s laughter filled the air. “You’re forgiven, but you can forget about kissing and making up. I’m planning my revenge.”
Caleb gave a mock solemn nod. “Duly noted and eagerly anticipated.” He glanced across the table at us with a mischievous look. “Maybe that’s all Veronica and August need to work through their issues, a good, old-fashioned kiss that will unleash a flood of feel-good chemicals in the body. Have either of you ever thought about that?”
Veronica flatly said, “No,” just as I chimed in with an eager, “Yes.”
The stark difference in our responses lingered in the air, highlighting the tangled web of emotions between us. But I wasn’t about to let her rejection deter me from my goal of winning her back.
“I was actually hoping you’d say no,” I confessed with a sly grin.
Veronica chuckled. “Yeah, right.”
“It’s true,” I said with a nod. “Each no you say just brings me one step closer to a yes.”
“That makes no sense,” Veronica laughed again. “A no is a no, putting you right back where you started.”
I shook my head, amused. “Not quite. You just laughed—twice. Considering that laughter releases twice as many endorphins as kissing, plus throws in some serotonin and dopamine for good measure, your brain’s happy chemicals are all lit up right now. That makes you more likely to reconsider your stance, maybe even sway you towards something you hadn’t entertained before.”
Veronica paused, seemingly caught off guard.
Sabrina clapped her hands delightedly. “August, you’re a genius! I’m sold.”
Daphne chuckled beside her. “Impressive argument, I must admit.”
“Thank you,” I said, turning back to Veronica with a playful raise of my eyebrows. “So, Princess Veronica, what’s your verdict?”
After a beat, Veronica swatted my arm.
“And what was that for?” I asked, feigning hurt.
“Mosquito,” she quipped, quickly taking another bite of her sandwich while avoiding my gaze.
Laughter bubbled up around the table, and I couldn’t help but join in. It felt like a small victory, a shift in the air. I was more determined than ever, especially knowing the surprise I had waiting for her back at camp.
Chapter Seven
Princess Veronica
After finishing up the game drive and picnic lunch, Daphne and I walked back to our tent suite, where the midday heat made the thought of a cold shower and some downtime incredibly appealing. However, a more urgent matter pressed on my mind, overshadowing any desire to cool off or relax.
Struggling through every moment near August in the safari cruiser and pretending his presence did not affect me was utterly exhausting. I had to take drastic action before it was too late. As soon as we stepped inside the tent suite, I closed the door behind us and faced Daphne.
