The Prince and the Troll (Faraway Collection)

by Rainbow Rowell

(Though he supposed her face disappeared when he blinked, too . . . This was more thinking than the man was used to doing on his way to work.)

He sort of remembered the river. They’d needed it for the road. Whatever the road needed, they took.

“What’s your name, I mean.” “I can’t tell you that,” she said between sips. “Everyone knows you can’t trust princes.” “I’m not a prince.” He may as well be.

She tilted her head. “You think I’m at my most useful when I’m being useful to you?” “No,” he said. “I don’t know what to think.” He didn’t.

“The road goes everywhere you’d want to go. Everywhere you’d think of going. It never ends. And you’re never alone there. And everything you’d ever want is right there on the road.”

He didn’t really know what bridge trolls worried about; he was a little afraid to ask. (No, that’s not right—he wasn’t afraid, really. He just didn’t want to know.)

“You shouldn’t focus on the bad things,” he said. “Because you draw them toward you. Happiness is about focusing on good things and drawing those things toward you.”

“This isn’t easy. This is just another kind of hard. That’s all that’s left now, for any of us.”