Sempre (Forever Series #1)(21)

Carmine held the curtains aside, motioning for her to climb through, and she stepped out onto the small porch that wrapped around the floor. Carmine joined her, and she carefully followed him along the balcony to a massive sycamore tree. Thick branches extended toward the corner of the house, so close Haven touched some of the green leaves, the tips fading to brown with autumn on the horizon.

Carmine tossed the jar down from the balcony, holding his breath as it landed in the grass with a thud. Gripping the branch closest to him, he stepped over the banister and climbed into the tree. “Come on, it’s easy.”

She peeked over the edge. “I don’t want to fall.”

“You won’t.”

“You swear?”

He chuckled. “All the f**king time.”

She hesitated before grabbing the branch like he’d done and pulling herself over the banister. Carmine expertly navigated the tree, having done it dozens of times, and Haven carefully followed his path. A minute after he jumped to the ground, she landed beside him on her feet.

“See, that wasn’t so bad, huh?”

A hint of a smile graced her lips. “I didn’t fall.”

Carmine grabbed the jar as Haven wandered a few steps away, her eyes darting around. Fireflies continued to flash in the darkness, the brief glows illuminating her awestruck face. Her smile grew as she reached out for one, but she pulled her hand back quickly. “They won’t hurt me, right?”

“Right,” he said. “You’re probably ten times more dangerous than fireflies are.”

Dangerous. The word made his heart rate spike. Something told him this girl was a danger to his f**king sanity.

She gently captured a firefly in her palm and stared at it with awe as the bug ran across her hand and took off from the tip of her middle finger. Soft giggles erupted from her as it flew away, catching Carmine off guard. It was the first time he’d heard her laugh.

Shaking himself out of his stupor, he handed her the jar. “Here, catch a few.”

Carmine sat down on the ground as she took off, chasing fireflies through the yard. He laughed as she fought to catch them, the little bugs evading her grasp. Soon her laughter mixed with his, her excited cheers sounding out in the night when she managed to wrangle some into the jar. She spun and twirled, jumped and ran; all the while a smile graced her lips.

As he watched, Carmine thought she looked different from the girl he’d encountered that first day. There was no awkwardness, the tension that radiated from her a distant memory. Out in the yard, under the shine of the moon, she seemed relaxed and carefree.

* * *

Haven sat down and spread out her legs, the lush grass tickling her feet. She inhaled deeply, the cool night air a far cry from the dusty shallow breaths she forced into her lungs growing up. It smelled different here, clean and crisp. Everything was green. She’d never given the color much thought before, but she realized it was more than something to see. It was a feeling, a taste, a smell. It was the dampness of the grass and the shelter of the trees. It was fresh. It was comforting. Green was happiness.

Green made her belly rumble, and the feeling terrified her.

The few trees she saw in Blackburn were barren, deformed sticks jutting from the ground, but here they were giant umbrellas of leaves towering above her.

She stared at the jar in her lap, the half-dozen fireflies trapped inside flickering at regular intervals. She found it strange the way they blinked in harmony, a silent melody she yearned to hear. “I wonder what they’re saying,” she said, shattering the silence that had settled between them.

Carmine pointed at the jar. “I’m pretty sure this one just told that one it had a nice glowy ass.”

“And the others?”

“Ah, well, that one’s jealous, because it wanted the one with the nice ass,” he said, pointing again. “And the others are gossiping. You know—who did who, why, where, when, what-the-f*ck.”

“I didn’t realize bugs were so scandalous.”

He laughed. “It’s nature. They can’t help themselves.”

She stared at the jar, having no idea what to make of it.

Carmine stood after a few minutes, brushing the grass from his pants. “We should head inside before we get caught. You can bring the bugs with you.”

Shaking her head, she unscrewed the lid. “They should be free,” she said quietly, watching as the fireflies flew away.

Carmine grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet, and her fingertips tingled from his touch. The sensation alarmed her. It was like electricity under her skin, running through her veins and jolting her heart. Her pulse raced as she averted her gaze, not daring to look him in the eyes.

His eyes—green, like the grass and the trees.

Haven felt like she, too, was suddenly glowing.

6

Evasion became a way of life for Haven again during the next few weeks, but deep down she knew it couldn’t last. As she headed downstairs one Friday to do her work, she heard the television playing in the family room, although everyone should have been gone for the day. Her pulse quickened. Every weekday she had been left alone until three o’clock. She didn’t like her routine being disrupted.

Quietly, she walked to the family room and saw Dr. DeMarco sitting on the couch. He addressed her without even looking up. “Good morning, child.”

Bewildered, she mumbled, “Good morning, Master.”