The Boy and His Ribbon (The Ribbon Duet, #1)(64)

She’d always been an open book, so the silent treatment confused me.

It hurt too, but I didn’t feel I had the right to be in pain when she was obviously hurting because of something she refused to discuss.

Dealing with a growing girl was exhausting.

“Della…it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me.” I brought her tiny hand to my mouth and kissed her knuckles. “Let’s just go for a walk—”

“She said she’s going to give you a special birthday treat tonight because sixteen is a big deal and sixteen-year-old boys deserve special treats.” Tears glassed her beautiful eyes as she yanked her hand from mine. “I don’t want her to give you anything. You’re mine. And I forgot to give you something, and now you’re going to get all the things from her and forget all about me!” With an agonizing gasp, she tore off into the trees.

What the—

“Della!” I chased after her, following the crash and crunch of twigs, trying to catch up as she ducked under low branches and weaved around Della-sized bushes. “Come back here.”

She didn’t stop. She didn’t slow.

“Della Ribbon, you get your butt back here this instant!” I leapt over bracken, grateful for years of hard labour and a body good at endurance. She was a speedy little thing, and I had no intention of letting her get away with shutting down this time. “Della!”

Goddammit.

Something crashed to a stop in front of me, sending me skidding on the brakes as I almost ran into her.

She looked up beneath a curtain of blonde curls, her eyes tight and lips thin but tears no longer glittered. I almost wished there were tears because the calm collectedness in her stare terrified me.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t get you a gift.” She let me grab her and wedge her into my stomach. Her thin arms wrapped loosely around my hips as she breathed hard into my lower belly. “I didn’t mean to be a child.”

“You weren’t a child.”

“I forgot. I’m not supposed to say anything about Cassie.”

I peeled her away, staring into her face, but once again, that blank collectedness stared back. “What aren’t you telling me, Della?”

“Nothing.”

“There’s something.”

“Nuh-uh. I’m fine.” She smiled bright and brittle. “See?”

I didn’t buy it, but my brain didn’t work fast enough to figure out what she was hiding.

I fumbled for something to say, some reassurance to utter, some way to bring back the happy kid I loved with all my heart, but I was too slow, and Della’s truth slipped through my fingers.

“Wanna play tag?” she asked, already bouncing away as if the past few minutes never existed. “You won’t catch me.” The flavour of heartache vanished as she giggled and took off at a dead sprint, long hair trailing, ribbon twirling.

I stared after her, lost.

What had just happened?

Della laughed, already a fair distance away. “Ren! Come on, slow poke!”

Whatever it was wasn’t over, but I didn’t want to taint the rest of our day together.

For now, I let her fake normalcy and bought into her assurances that whatever worried her wasn’t too overpowering that it stopped her from playing.

I’d protect her from everything, but until she told me what hurt her, I had to trust she was okay.

I took off, leaping forward into the trees I adored over any house or barn. “Oh, you’re in so much trouble when I get you!”

Her happy squeal tried to delete the strange, painful moment from before.

But it never quite removed the shadow she’d painted on my heart.

No matter how long we ran like the wild creatures we were.

No matter how much time we spent in the forest that was our true home.

Something had happened between us.

And it would have to be dealt with…sooner or later.





CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO





REN



2006




THAT NIGHT, WHEN Della had fallen asleep and I lay staring at the ceiling beside her, a soft knock on our bedroom door told me Cassie had come to give me her present.

Glancing down at Della, part of me wanted to pretend I hadn’t heard her while the other part desperately wanted to find out what she’d give me.

It took a minute of internal warfare before I slid out of bed in just my boxers and hauled on a pair of shorts that were my cleanest pair. I debated whether to stay shirtless.

Which would seem worse? Shirtless while hoping we were about to make out, or clothed while hoping we were about to make out?

I chose modesty and grabbed a black t-shirt from the floor.

Tiptoeing toward the door, I held my finger to my lips to keep Cassie quiet as I slipped through a crack, looking back once more at sleeping Della, her hair spread all over my pillow and tiny body tucked under cosy covers.

Cassie nodded, following me silently toward the stables until I stopped by the tack room.

I didn’t know what to say because we both knew why she was here. I didn’t want to be the idiot to ask what she wanted or pretend anything was wrong. Just staring at her told me everything I needed to know.

No words were uttered as she stepped into my personal space, stood on her toes, and kissed me softly. The familiarity of kissing her now didn’t mean my heart stayed calm. Like always, it leaped and thudded as warm wetness and slippery intoxication turned my brain to mush and body to granite.